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SATURDAY OCTOBER 30, 2010
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2010 ELECTIONS
UIL CONTEST
Early votes are few
ZHS band stopped at area
188 of 7,200 registered voters cast early ballots By MAURICIO GUERRERO SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
It’s been slow for early voting in Zapata County. Zapata County Clerk Mary Jayne Villereal-Bonoan said as of noon Friday there had only been 188 people who participated in early voting since it began last week. The county has more than 7,200 registered voters. “It’s very important that people get out to vote and express their desires,” she said.
While it’s been slow at the voting booth, Villereal-Bonoan said she hopes that more people will come Nov. 2, especially because there is a current tax measure on the ballot. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar said that his campaign is doing its part to get his 28th Congressional District constituents to the voting booth. The incumbent faces Republican candidate Bryan Underwood and Libertarian Stephan Kaat. “We’ve got a lot of protocols
in place from phone banks to media,” Cuellar said. “I think we’re doing really well with early voting and in the polls, but I don’t take anything for granted.” Underwood has also been working on his campaign to win the congressional seat. Underwood said that for the past year he has been around the district on somewhat of a listening tour to know what constituents want from their congressman. Kaat was unable to be
reached for comment. Cuellar is concentrating his campaign on transportation and education. He said that Laredo is a growing city and should have a congressman who can help the city with that growth by helping get the money needed to support transportation and the education system. Underwood is focusing more on repealing both the cap and trade bill and healthcare reform.
See VOTING PAGE 10A
READING FEST
SO GOOD IT’S SPOOKY
By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
After receiving superior ratings in the Division I marching competition, the Zapata High School marching band advanced to the area competition in Calallen last Saturday and came home disappointed. "The students did a good job, but the other bands were much better than we were," said marching band director Amado Martinez. The other bands played difficult music and carried out much more difficult marching drills, Martinez said. The ZHS marching band played music by composer Dennis Eveland, Martinez said. "The music was about a roller coaster ride," Martinez said.
See BAND PAGE 10A
2010 CAMPAIGN
B&G Club is safe and fun SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
(Editor’s note: This is one in a series of profiles of the 26 agencies funded by United Way. The 2010 campaign is now under way.) Viola Gonzales Torres began working for the Boys & Girls Club of Zapata County in 2007. At the time, she had never worked with children other than her own. She applied for a position
Norma Villarreal-Arrellano, right, wearing a Snow White costume, principal at Arturo l. Benavides Elementary, sits with a group of students as they listen to school librairan Marlen Guerra Friday morning as part of the school Spooktacular celebration.
School’s Halloween celebration teaches fun and safety By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Halloween festivities were in full bloom as Arturo L. Benavides Elementary celebrated the Spooktacular Reading Fest with a witch story narrated by the school librarian pretending to be a witch on the hunt for tasty ingredients. “We’re trying to show the
children that it can be a fun activity where we share, have fun and are aware of safety,” Principal Norma Arellano said. Marlen Guerra, the school librarian, played the witch narrating a story of her hunt for cat eyes, snake eyes, owl eyes, lizard gizzards, and other animal parts for her witch’s brew to serve the children all dressed up in unique Halloween costumes
quietly listening and participating when asked. “It’s just an activity to show the kids what Halloween is all about,” Guerra said. “It’s about pretending and not to be scared — the masks are not real and everyone is just wearing costumes.” After each ingredient was found and dumped into the kettle the children would shout out,
“Boo, boo, the witch’s brew.” “They’re very excited about that,” Arellano said. Every Halloween festivity was a team effort as Arellano, Guerra and other teachers joined in the fun. Immediately following the witch’s brew was a Halloween costume contest at the gym with
because her children were members of the club and she needed a job. Within four months, she was interim director of the club. By the end of her first year, she was executive director of the club. As executive director, she does a bit of everything, from working with the personnel and children to do-
See SPOOKTACULAR PAGE 10A
See BOYS & GIRLS CLUB PAGE 10A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, OCT. 30 In preparation for the Laredo Bird Festival 2011, the Monte Mucho Audubon Society has scheduled to visit two private ranches. Both are located on Hwy. 83 and will offer excellent opportunities to see migrating birds. Warblers, ducks and shore birds are sure signs that the fall bird migration is still in full swing. Bring your bird field guide and clean your binoculars to add a few more Life Birds to your personal list. The public is welcome and invited to join this morning. Please arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. The group will depart at 7 a.m. and return at 12:30 p.m. Contact Raul Delgado at rcdelg@sbcglobal.net to RSVP or for further details. Today, the community is invited to join the First Baptist Church at 7610 N. Bartlett (behind the Del Mar Post Office) for its annual Free Fall Festival for the family. The parking lot will be filled with game booths, moon walks, free food, candy, and prizes. There will be a picture booth to take a free picture of your family. Costumes welcome. The beautiful playground will be open. For more information: www.fbclaredo.org or 723-8374. The F.F.U.N to raise awareness for children with Down syndrome takes place today. The organization F.F.U.N (Families and Friends Uniting Nationwide) was started as a support group for parents with special needs children. Registration for the walk is at 4 p.m. at the Laredo Civic Center. Cost is $10. The walk will take place at the Laredo Civic Center and finish at Eistetter Park (San Francisco Park by Dr. Ike’s). From 5-8 p.m., there will be a F.F.U.N. Fair with music, special guests, awards, food and games for all. For more information, contact Lisa Longoria at dmartinolr@aol.com. El Centro de Laredo Farmers Market is today at Jarvis Plaza, 1300 Matamoros St., from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
SUNDAY, OCT. 31 Today is the last day of the Pumpkin Patch at First United Methodist Church, 1200 McClelland Ave. The patch is open from 12:30 to 7 p.m. Today marks the last performance of the second annual Festival de Teatro Chicano at 3 p.m. All plays are original works and will be performed at the Laredo Little Theatre. Three short plays will be performed.
MONDAY, NOV. 1 Kids, want to win cash for you school while helping save the environment? Help Willie Bote collect old Borderplex phone books. The school that collects the most directories and other phone books wins cash prizes, a pizza party and the knowledge that you helped make a difference in saving the earth! The contest runs through Nov. 15. For more information, call Sylvia Garza at the City of Laredo solid waste services division at 795-2510.
TUESDAY, NOV. 2 Texas A&M International University College of Arts and Sciences Center for the Fine and Performing Arts presents the new fall exhibit, “High 5.” The exhibit presents artwork by Southern Methodist University graduate art students. Admission is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on display from Oct. 21 through Nov. 18. Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. or by appointment. Les Amis will have its monthly luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn at 800 Garden St. The honorees are Gloria Barrera, Amparo Garcia, Grace Hastings, Imelda Gonzalez, Cleatis Ortiz and Hilda Lopez. The hostesses are Lily Garza, Ma. Eugenia Garcia, Aurora Miranda and Mine Sandoval.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3 Registration is underway for the South Texas Writing Project Fall Conference “Biliteracy Teaching through Mexican-American Voice” at Texas A&M International University on Saturday, Nov. 13. Registration packets are available at tamiu.edu/coas/lla/stwp/index.shtml, or e-mail Erika Medrano at emedrano@tamiu.edu for a packet. Hear the popular songs of the ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s at the American Pop Music Concert today at 7 p.m. in the Texas A&M International University Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall. This concert is an opportunity to listen to the music of the “good old days” during social changes in American history. — To submit an item for the calendar, send the name of the event, the date, time, location and contact phone number to editorial@lmtonline.com.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Larry Kolvoord/Austin American-Statesman | AP
Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White campaigns at a rally at Zaragoza Park in Austin, on Tuesday. White and Republican Gov. Rick Perry marked the last day of early voting Friday with swings through their party strongholds with just four days left before Election Day.
Campaigning continues By KELLEY SHANNON AND JAY ROOT ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN ANTONIO — Republican Gov. Rick Perry and his Democratic challenger, Bill White, marked the last day of early voting Friday with swings through their party strongholds with just four days left before Election Day. Popular Democratic local elected officials joined White for a boisterous rally at Don Pedro Mexican Restaurant in south San Antonio, where White told the crowd not to worry about polls showing him trailing Perry by as many as 12 percentage points. “The results of this election have not been written. They will be written based on what Texans do in the next four days,” he told the crowd. White, the former Houston mayor, reminded supporters he grew up in San Antonio,
that his parents were teachers and that his San Antonio relatives worked at a local Air Force base and in the construction business. Rodoflo Perez, 73, a retired electronics worker, didn’t have to be convinced to vote for White. He’d already cast his vote for White and all other Democrats on the ballot. “First day,” Perez said. “Straight ticket.” He said his family members are worried about rising college tuition and think that White will help curb the increase. “The newspaper is saying that he’s behind, but I doubt it because I’ve been talking to a lot of people,” Perez said, adding that he knows Republicans voting for White. Perry, meanwhile, stumped in his home turf of West Texas, urging supporters to drive up turnout so they can send a message to the target of his ire: President Barack Obama and the Democrats in Washington.
Survey: State ignoring greenhouse gas rules
Would-be bomber appeals 24-year sentence
Some Collin County tax payments sent to NM
HOUSTON — Texas is the only state that hasn’t taken steps to meet new federal greenhouse gas emission rules that go into effect in January — a move that leaves its energy industry vulnerable to lawsuits and prevents plants from legally expanding. This is the latest battle between Texas and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
DALLAS — A Jordanian man who pleaded guilty to trying to blow up a Dallas skyscraper and received 24 years in prison has appealed his sentence even though he could have faced an additional six years behind bars. Hosam Smadi, who faced up to 30 years as part of his plea bargain, filed his appeal Thursday. He was sentenced last week. Smadi, 20, pleaded guilty in May to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
McKINNEY — Human error is blamed for a printing company switch that led some Collin County property owners to mail tax payments to New Mexico. Tax assessor staff this week rushed to get the company to send new return envelopes so the payments will get to Collin. About 2,500 residents of Collin County received return envelopes addressed to the Dona Ana County, N.M., treasurer.
Man gets 10 years over homemade bomb FORT WORTH — A Fort Worth man who put a homemade bomb on the front porch of his ex-wife’s house must serve 10 years in prison. U.S. District Judge John McBryde on Friday sentenced 52year-old David Barouch to the maximum prison term and also fined him $10,000. Barouch in July pleaded guilty to one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device.
Bryan police warn of ‘dangerous plastic bottles’ BRYAN — Police are warning to use caution around plastic bottles that could contain dangerous chemicals. Police warned of “dangerous plastic bottles” and suspicious activity after officers received calls about possible gunfire. The bottles contained caustic chemicals.
Funding could change for higher education AUSTIN — The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has endorsed a revised method of funding public universities and community colleges. The board wants 10 percent of the base funding for universities to be indexed to so-called “student outcomes,” including graduation rates. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION US rep.: Estate tax rise has some planning death
CONTACT US
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis says some of her Wyoming constituents are so worried about the reinstatement of federal estate taxes that they plan to discontinue life-extending medical treatments so they can die before Dec. 31. She said many in the state would rather pass along their businesses to their children and grandchildren than see the government take a large chunk.
Man in wheelchair goes 3 miles to help sister SWEET HOME, Ore. — A 73year-old man traveled three miles in his wheelchair before hunters found him and helped rescue his sister after their car got stuck in the snow. Howard Partridge and his 61year-old sister were viewing autumn foliage when they got stuck.
Today is Saturday, Oct. 30, the 303rd day of 2010. There are 62 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Oct. 30, 1938, the radio play “The War of the Worlds,” starring Orson Welles, aired on CBS. (The live drama, which employed fake breaking news reports, panicked some listeners who thought the portrayal of a Martian invasion was real.) On this date: In 1735, the second president of the United States, John Adams, was born in Braintree, Mass. In 1885, poet Ezra Pound was born in Hailey, Idaho. In 1893, the U.S. Senate gave final congressional approval to repealing the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890. In 1944, the Martha Graham ballet “Appalachian Spring,” with music by Aaron Copland, premiered at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., with Graham in a leading role. In 1945, the U.S. government announced the end of shoe rationing, effective at midnight. In 1961, the Soviet Union tested a hydrogen bomb, the “Tsar Bomba,” with a force estimated at about 50 megatons. The Soviet Party Congress unanimously approved a resolution ordering the removal of Josef Stalin’s body from Lenin’s tomb. In 1974, Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman in the eighth round of a 15round bout in Kinshasa, Zaire (zah-EER’), known as the “Rumble in the Jungle” to regain his world heavyweight title. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter announced his choice of federal appeals judge Shirley Hufstedler to head the newly created Department of Education. In 1984, police in Poland found the body of kidnapped pro-Solidarity priest Father Jerzy Popieluszko (YEHR’-zee pah-pee-WOOSH’-goh), whose death was blamed on security officers. In 1985, schoolteacher-astronaut Christa McAuliffe witnessed the launch of the space shuttle Challenger, the same craft that carried her and six other crew members to their deaths in Jan. 1986. Ten years ago: Comedian, television host, author and composer Steve Allen died in Encino, Calif. at age 78. Five years ago: The body of Rosa Parks arrived at the U.S. Capitol, where the civil rights pioneer became the first woman to lie in honor in the Rotunda; President George W. Bush and congressional leaders paused to lay wreaths by her casket. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Dick Gautier is 73. Movie director Claude Lelouch is 73. Rock singer Grace Slick is 71. Songwriter Eddie Holland is 71. Actor Ed Lauter is 70. Rhythm-and-blues singer Otis Williams (The Temptations) is 69. Actor Henry Winkler is 65. Rock musician Chris Slade (Asia) is 64. Country/rock musician Timothy B. Schmit (The Eagles) is 63. Actor Leon Rippy is 61. Actor Charles Martin Smith is 57. Country singer T. Graham Brown is 56. Actor Kevin Pollak is 53. Thought for Today: “When love is not madness, it is not love.” — Pedro Calderon de la Barca, Spanish dramatist (1600-1681).
Photo by Fox News Channel | AP
In this frame grab, a United Parcel Service plane sits at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J., on Friday. Officials are investigating reports of suspicious packages on planes in Philadelphia and Newark, N.J.
Fires prompt evacuations in Boulder, Colo. BOULDER, Colo. — Two wildfires burning in Colorado on Friday prompted the evacuations of the homes of 1,700 people as well
as more in neighboring foothills where dozens of houses were burned in a blaze last month. Nearly 140 homes in three subdivisions in the Boulder County foothills were evacuated Friday morning shortly after the wildfires were first reported, — Compiled from AP reports
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
Zlocal
SPOOKY HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL
PAGE 3A
Health fun fest is today at Community Center THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Zapata Health Fun Fest will take place from 8:30 a.m. until noon today at the Zapata Community Center. The fest is hosted by Gateway Community Health Center. Health agencies will gather at the fair to offer health screenings, education, activities and familyfriendly entertainment. Health screenings include free bodymass index calculations; blood presCourtesy photo
Villarreal Elementary staff treated the students to a Halloween Festival on Friday. The staff decorated and manned the Haunted House. Pictured are, top, Jessica Garza; second row, Claudia Garza, Elsa Martinez, Teresa Villarreal, Sam Garcia, Charlene Lieurance; middle, Gracie Zavala and Dinorah Serna; bottom, Gracie Gracia and Maricela Salinas
Kids eye Texas ‘walk’ By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Child obesity is no secret in the United States and to fight it Fidel and Andrea R. Villarreal Elementary sought ways to teach students how to live a healthier lifestyle by implementing the “Walk Texas” program during gym class. “Some of our students don’t realize what it is to maintain a healthy weight,” Coach Gracie Gracia said. “They say ‘we eat what our parents make.”’ The goal was for students to walk the distance it takes to walk across Texas from as far south as Brownsville to as far north as Stratford (near the Oklahoma panhandle), Gracia said. The distance between
both cities is 868 miles, but on Wednesday students surpassed the goal by walking 889 miles, Gracia said. Initially the program’s timeline was set for eight weeks, but Principal Carmen G. Zavala pushed coaches to try to finish in a week. More than 600 students — all grades except pre-K — walked the nearly 900 miles in seven days, Gracia added. Students walked a total of 150 to 180 miles daily, the coach added. The program was not only meant to kick-start the students’ metabolisms, but to also to open their eyes to the states’ geography while teaching them mathematics, Gracia said. “A lot of our kids don’t get to travel much and barely even travel to Laredo.
They’re just here in town,” Gracia said. “Some kids looked forward to walking and found the different highways and routes interesting.” Mathematics came in to play when all students were required to count the miles left to reach the goal. Other state facts were not left out: Students also learned the state flower, the state bird and the state song, along with healthier eating habits, Gracia said. Since reaching and surpassing the initial goal, Villarreal Elementary decided to create a new goal of 1,000 miles. “We haven’t figured out our final destination,” Gracia said. (Lorraine L. Rodriguez may be reached at (956)7282557.)
sure assessments; glaucoma screenings; dental screenings for children; pregnancy tests; and foot screenings. Gateway also will perform low-cost serum exams. The first 50 serum exam participants will get their lab work done free, courtesy of Buckner Children and Family Services. A Zumba-thon will take place from 9-10 a.m. and from 11 a.m.-noon to benefit Light of Hope cancer patients. The first 100 children ages 3 to 12 who attend the
fest will receive backpacks filled with school supplies. There will be a costume contest for children under 15.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
OTHER VIEWS
Rules for political marriages By JONATHAN GURWITZ SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
T
he American people don’t fall in love with political parties the way they used to. In the parlance of the younger set, now they just “hook up” with candidates. And when those candidates grow tiresome or irksome, they simply move on to others.
Few changes Look at the duration of recent political relationships. Democrats held majorities in the House of Representatives from 1955 to 1994. With the exception of six years, they controlled the Senate during those same four decades. This is what a longterm partisan relationship looks like. And this is what Republicans and Democrats, like hopeful suitors, have been trying to read into the results of elections since that era of partisan bliss ended. Republicans interpreted the outcome of the 1994 elections as an epochal shift in partisan alignment. As late as 2004, some of the smartest GOP strategists mused about a Republican majority that might last 40 years.
Other ideas Voters had different plans. When the brief, 12-year Republican epoch came to an end in 2006, Democrats construed from that election a partisan shift that would empower them for decades. Some of the smartest Democratic strategists were writing books with titles like “40 More Years: How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation.” That generation is proving to be short lived.
Changes Maybe the Internet has enabled a new breed of politically-informed Americans who aren’t in thrall to parties the way their forebears were. Maybe the pace of the digital age means voters want more immediate political gratification. And maybe citizens have finally caught on to the lecherous ways of the political class and are far more willing to give smooth-talking congressmen the heave-ho. Forty years, then 12 years, now 4 years — political and social scientists will long theorize about what’s undermining the institution of political marriage. But
for Republicans who stand to benefit from the latest breakup, there are some clear lessons. Don’t misinterpret a victory for a mandate. Just because a few percentage points of voters have fallen out of love with the other guys doesn’t mean that the nation has fallen in love with your entire agenda.
Issue-oriented Stay focused on the issues that made you winners. Voters gave Republicans the boot in 2006 because of their fiscal and ethical failures. Democrats doubled down on those failures and, at the expense of the economy, pushed a left-of-center agenda over the objections of a substantial number of Americans. Be statesmen. You don’t have to be Madisons and Jeffersons — Mr. Smith will do. Americans still want to believe that politics is more than just sausage making. That’s why a majority of them swooned over a half-term senator from Illinois in 2008, and why so many of them are now disenchanted with his butcher block tactics. He’s still the president, however — the one person elected by the entire nation. Show him the respect his office is due, and practice the Golden Rule.
Outcomes Get something done. Elections are for talking. The congressional session is for doing. Americans are fighting in two wars, they’re anxious about the economy and worried about what our fiscal mess will do to the nation that our children and grandchildren will inherit. Yet House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sent their members home to campaign in September without passing a single one of the 12 appropriations bills that fund the operations of the federal government for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. You can do better. Keep your word. Too many voters believe with good reason that Republicans and Democrats make the same cheesy passes and break the same old promises. Show voters that, this time, Republicans are different. If you’re hoping for something more than a onenight stand on Capitol Hill, you’re going to have to re-earn the people’s trust. (E-mail: jgurwitz@express-news.net)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure
our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling 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.
COLUMN
Health bill reaction aids GOP By GARY ANDRES HEARST NEWSPAPERS
W
ASHINGTON — President Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress seriously misdiagnosed the politics of health care reform. Yet their malpractice is even more extensive than generally known. Polling consistently shows that opposition to the new law outstrips support. Rasmussen’s tracking surveys regularly demonstrate significant majorities want it repealed. And not a week goes by without more dire projections of health insurance premium hikes and employers dropping or changing coverage. Hopeful Obama rhetoric like “if you like what you have, you can keep it” or “my plan will reduce insurance premiums by $2,500 per family,” now sound more like traditional “bait and switch” than the politics of hope. These examples of overpromising and under-delivering are among the most commonly referenced reasons driving public dissatisfaction. But a more unexpected reaction — one that has so
far received far less attention — also deserves mention, particularly days before the elections. Call it backlash blindness. The White House failed to grasp the full public reaction to the legislation — a blunder with massive political consequences. They thought Democrats would swoon in appreciation and Republicans might just quietly concede defeat. Both presumptions were wrong. Instead of responding enthusiastically to the passage of the new law, the Democratic rank-in-file exhibited a mix of disappointment and complacency. Some are angry — it didn’t go far enough, they say. Others view it as a “check the box” exercise and have moved on. Either way, passage of the new law has not produced a political windfall of gratitude or enthusiasm for the Democrats. This outcome is a bit ironic because the White House and Democratic leaders said it would do both, using a historical parallel to build support for the legislation. Their party lost the majority in Congress in 1994 — the story goes — be-
cause of failure to enact President Clinton’s health care reform measure. Don’t make that mistake again, they implored. Pass the bill, make history and maintain political control. And so they did. A bigger blunder occurred, however, in misjudging reaction of Republicans and conservatives. In a survey for Resurgent Republic around Labor Day, their backlash came into full view. Voters that placed themselves the farthest distance from Obama on a scale of 0-10 on health policy were more likely to say they were certain to vote than those who agreed with Obama. Ironically this outcome occurred, not because of legislative failure, but due to its success. Some might have predicted this result. Presidential scholars Jeffrey E. Cohen and Ken Collier identified the possibility of an outcome like this over a decade ago. In a chapter they wrote in “Presidential Policymaking: An End-ofCentury Assessment,” Cohen and Collier explain that presidents must exercise extreme caution in their strategies of “going
public” and pursuing their agendas, lest they generate an even more powerful uprising against them.” Those cautionary words were written in 1999.In today’s polarized and fragmented media world, the motivation and tools to counter-mobilize have grown exponentially. Perhaps for the first time in recent history, health care has become more of rallying cry for Republicans than Democrats. This turn of events contributes to lead sentences like this one by the Washington Post’s Aaron Blake last week: “If House Democrats sustain major losses on Nov. 2, the health care law passed earlier this year is likely to be a big reason.” The misdiagnosis of their own party’s reaction to health care was such egregious malpractice that trial lawyers all over the country should be tooling around in Bentleys. But an even bigger miscalculation was the White House’s blindness to the backlash this ill-fated law engendered among Republicans and conservatives — creating a counter mobilization that will defeat many Democrats on Tuesday.
EDITORIAL
Firms knew cement was flawed NEW YORK TIMES
W
e have known for some time that a flaw in the cement used on BP’s Macondo well contributed to the disastrous April 20 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. What we did not know, until now, was that both BP and Halliburton appear to have been aware that the mixture was prone to failure — and went ahead
anyway. This disclosure is contained in a new report from the commission investigating the explosion. It is sure to cause another round of “not me” blameshifting between BP and Halliburton. BP has identified the inadequate job as a major factor in the explosion and faulted Halliburton. According to the report, Halliburton conducted three
tests on the cement mixture it planned to use. All showed the mixture to be unstable and thus vulnerable to the high-pressure pool of oil and gas at the bottom of the well. Halliburton carried out a fourth, and differently designed, test that suggested the cement slurry was stable. But there is no doubt that the mixture actually used was fatally flawed. This is also a reminder
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
of why the Senate must rouse itself and pass an oil spill bill regulating the drilling industry. The House has passed such a bill, and the Obama administration has imposed rules governing drilling practices. We have already seen how the oil industry can game the rules, and the cost. That is why Congress needs to write them clearly and firmly into law.
Crime & More
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
Army shoots American By MIGUEL TIMOSHEKOV LAREDO MORNING TIMES
NUEVO LAREDO — Mexican authorities confirmed Thursday that an American who was shot Tuesday in this city by Mexican soldiers is recovering in a private hospital. On Tuesday, Francisco Armando González, 20, was traveling south of the city at 1 a.m. on César López de Lara and 15 de Septiembre when he was struck by two bullets.
His injuries One of the bullets injured his right arm and the second entered the right parietal bone, said Dr. Guillermo Salinas Vela, a neurosurgeon who treated González. “The injury is serious; it pierced the bone, and brain tissue was exposed,” Salinas said. A spokesman for the Mexican Army in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, confirmed by telephone that the soldiers involved in the incident Tuesday were conducting a surveillance operation when they say they mistook Vela for a criminal. “Apparently, there were some criminals carrying weapons,” the spokesman said. “They started to attack military personnel, and (the soldiers) repelled the aggression,” the spokesman added. Although González has not reported the incident to authorities, it is known that he was riding in a black Chevrolet Tahoe with Texas plates from north to south on César López de Lara. After being wounded, González hit a fence, and a soldiers approached and saw that he was injured and unconscious. González was treated at the scene by Civil Protection paramedics, who took him to Hospital General. They later took him to a private hospital.
Victim’s wife speaks González’s wife, Blanca Isela Olivares, a Mexican
One of the bullets injured his right arm and the second entered the right parietal bone. citizen, said her husband wants to know what happened. “My husband is a truck driver, (and) his employer provides (him with) the SUV to visit me and our 7month-old daughter in Colonia Pancho Villa. He has no car,” Olivares said. The same soldiers who informed Olivares of her husband’s condition used González’s Nextel radio, she said. “They took my husband’s Nextel radio and called to inform me that he had an accident,” Olivares said. She added that when she arrived at the site where the incident occurred, she saw that her husband had been injured, but the military did not allow her to approach him. “My husband was on the ground,” Olivares said. “They dragged him out of the truck. Minutes had passed, and they had not called the ambulance.” “I do not know what injuries he has,” she added. “I know he had head surgery, and they told me they settled the brain tissue.”
She denied that her husband carried weapons or was traveling with others. “He has never had one,” Olivares said. “He did not travel with anyone else in the SUV. He was coming from work. They shot at him only because of the truck he was driving.”
His treatment The victim’s neurosurgeon, Salinas, said González is responding to treatment. “It took me 12 hours in surgery,” he said. González ’s brain swelling has been reducing, according to the medical report, but Salinas said that everything rests on “a matter of days.” Olivares said that while military personnel were guarding her husband’s room, it was she who asked them to stay away. “I asked them to leave. I did not want them there,” Olivares said.
Other civilian attacks Meanwhile, the Human
Rights Committee said in a news release that there has been an alarming increase in the number of attacks against civilians in the Mexican Army. Also, the statement said complaints have increased against soldiers for unwarranted arrests, raids, torture, threats, injuries and attempted extrajudicial executions. Signed by the president of the Nuevo Laredo Human Rights Committee, Raymundo Ramos, the document argues that “Blanca Isela Olivares-González, Francisco Armando González’s wife, filed a complaint.” She, according to Ramos, said that while her husband was bleeding after being attacked by soldiers, assistance was not provided. The complaint was formally submitted to the Human Rights Committee, which will follow the incident with legal monitoring. The Mexican Army, based in Reynosa, said it would issue an official news release, but at press time, a release had not been received.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
THE BLOTTER ASSAULT
BURGLARY
A 24-year-old man waved down deputies at 1:38 a.m. Oct. 25 in the intersection of Fourth Street and Bravo Avenue to tell them someone he knows hit him with a rock. EMS was dispatched to check on the man. An investigation is ongoing.
Deputies responded to a criminal mischief call at 4:30 a.m. Oct. 24 in the 700 block of Miraflores Avenue. Deputies say someone broke into a 1982 Chevy pickup and stole radio equipment and speakers valued at $2,300.
DWI
THEFT
Daniel Armando HernandezGomez, 22, was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated at approximately 9 a.m. Oct. 22 in the intersection of 24th Avenue and Elm Street. He was held at Zapata Regional Jail under a $2,000 bond. Manuel Almaguer-Ruiz, 51, was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated at 12:41 a.m. Oct. 23. Deputies say the man disregarded a stop sign in the intersection of Seventh Street and Falcon Avenue. He was taken to Zapata Regional Jail and held on a $3,000 bond. A passenger identified as Jose Enrique AlanizZapata, 61, was charged with public intoxication. He was released after time already served.
A 20-year-old man reported at 1:10 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Zapata County Sheriff’s Department that someone stole his wallet from inside a Greyhound bus.
PAGE 6A
Zentertainment
‘Red Monster’ arrives at LEA
HALLOWEEN2010
Pop culture influences this year’s hot costumes By MARGIT DETWEILER ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Inside a Ricky’s NYC store, Lucie Sudmeier selects a Hogwarts uniform from racks filled with sexy pirates, blue Avatar makeup and vampire fangs. “I was going to be a runaway bride, but when I saw this costume, I had to grab it,” said the 19-year-old. “My friends know me as the Harry Potter nerd. I have a Harry Potter tattoo!” Potter’s hot for Halloween this year, including prominent billing on kid costume lists for the first time, according to a survey conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation. Think Snooki versus Gaga, Buzz Lightyear versus Spiderman. The NRF said more people plan to dress up for the holiday than ever before — 40.1 percent, compared to 33.4 percent last year, and the highest percentage since the group started tracking Halloween trends in 2003. “We expect 2010 to be the year of the costume,” said NRF spokeswoman Kathy Grannis. This season’s Halloween costume trends also include rises in classics, humor and lighthearted gear:
Top adult costumes According to the NRF survey, witches are still the No. 1 costume for adults, followed by vampires, pirates and nurses. While classic costumes still top the list, Grannis cited the rising influence of pop culture. Leading the pack is a certain blonde chameleon tailor-made for the holiday. “In our online business, it’s Lady Gaga hands down,” said Todd Kenig, chairman of Ricky’s NYC. “The wigs, her outfits, the accessories, it’s all Gaga.” Expect MTV’s Jersey Shore characters — Snookie, Pauly D and The Situation — to be a hot ticket for men and women. Snooki wannabes will sport orange
“tan” makeup, a skintight leopard dress and the quintessential “pouf” wig, while men can become DJ Pauly D with a spiky wig, or “The Situation” with a muscle tank and fake set of ripped abs underneath. “Jersey Shore has been hot, even since the beginning of the year when people started throwing Jersey Shore parties,” said Dorice Dionne, senior vice president of merchandising for iParty. “I can’t tell you how many fake tattoos we’ve already sold.” Retailers report big sales in scaly blue Avatar costumes and Mario Brothers, along with “classic” and more Twilight-modern vampires. “Clearly pop culture is driving what we’re seeing,” said Dan Haight, chief operating officer of BuySeasons Inc., which owns one of the biggest online costume sites, BuyCostumes.com.
Anything can be sexy According to the NRF, the “sexy adult costumes” are doing better than ever and boast a wider variety. There are sexy referees, sexy mischievous
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
Mad Hatters, sexy pirates and a “Miss Krueger,” a sexy version of Freddie Krueger, from “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” BuyCostumes.com has the unquestionably most bizarre look in its Sexy Cookie Monster and Sexy Big Bird costumes for women. “It’s a different cookie monster: it’s flirty and sassy and a lot more fun,” Haight said.
Do-it-yourself In a down economy, many consumers would rather get creative and piece together their own costumes. That’s also a way of making your costume unique. All of the retailers interviewed said their accessories business is hotter than ever, with wigs, wands and Michael Jackson gloves flying off the shelves. And since Halloween is on a Sunday this year, many will be going to multiple parties over the weekend, so they’ll need more than one look. AP photo
Expect MTV’s “JerseyShore” characters like Snooki and Pauly D and artists such as Lady Gaga to be hot tickets this Halloween weekend.
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Sesame Street Live’s “Elmo’s Green Thumb” continues its three-day run at the Laredo Energy Arena today. The musical performance revolves around Elmo’s attempt to find a new home for Sunny, his sunflower friend. Elmo has raised his Sunny from a seed, but his floral friend has outgrown the flower pot. Elmo and friends find Big Bird’s garden the ideal place for Sunny to flourish and grow, but they are too excited to wait. Rather than let Sunny follow nature’s course, Abby Cadabby, Sesame Street’s fairy-in-
ELMO: Sesame Street character will be at the arena till Sunday.
‘ELMO’ SHOWS What: Sesame Street Live “Elmo’s Green Thumb” When: Saturday at 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. (Spanish performance); and Sunday at 2 p.m. Where: Laredo Energy Arena Tickets: $12-$27, available at the LEA box office. training, casts a spell to make Sunny grow. The spell does just the opposite and, instead of growing, Elmo and all of his friends shrink. Like television’s Sesame Street, each live produc-
tion features timeless lessons for all ages. Tickets are $12, $17 and $20. A limited number of $27 gold circle seats and $48 “Sunny Seats” also are available. Tickets to today’s 10:30 a.m. show will be $10.25 for schools and day care groups; for tonight’s 7 p.m. show, all seats will be $12 (excluding gold circle and “Sunny Seats”). For more information, call 523-7700.
SÁBADO 30 DE OCTUBRE DE 2010
Agenda en Breve SÁBADO 30 DE OCTUBRE LAREDO — Laredo Main Street abrirá hoy su primer mercado agrícola certificado (El Centro de Laredo Farmer’s Market) de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m. en la Plaza Jarvis. LAREDO — “Elmo’s Green Thumb” se presenta hoy en la Laredo Energy Arena a las 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. y 7 p.m. Los precios varían de 12 a 48 dólares. LAREDO — El Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU invita a explorar dentro de su primer día de películas en familia, la cinta “Monsters, Inc.” a la 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. y 7 p.m. La entrada general es de 3 dólares. LAREDO — Hoy habrá un recital de piano con Anthony Tobin, de 7:30 p.m. a 9 p.m. en el Recital Hall del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU. SAN ANTONIO — El Instituto Cultural de México presentará altares tradicionales honrando a héroes de la Revolución Mexicana y la Independencia de México con motivo del Día de Muertos, a partir de hoy a las 6 p.m. y hasta el miércoles 3 de noviembre. El ICM se ubica en el 600 Hemisfair Park.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 7A
CONDONAN MULTAS Y RECARGOS EN DERECHOS DE CONTROL VEHICULAR
Estado motiva contribuciones ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
CD. VICTORIA, México — El Gobierno de Tamaulipas anunció la condonación del 100% en multas y recargos de los derechos de control vehicular a todos aquellos contribuyentes que liquiden sus adeudos en el presente año. La disposición, conferida por la Ley de Hacienda del Estado, entró en vigor el 25
EUGENIO HERNÁNDEZ FLORES: Dijo disposición ya entró en vigor. de octubre para aquellas personas que cubran en su totalidad el pago de sus derechos de control vehicular. “Las oficinas fiscales en todo el estado se encuentran preparadas para atender la gran demanda de pa-
gos de los derechos vehiculares que se esperan en estos dos últimos meses del 2010”, dijo el Gobernador del Estado Eugenio Hernández Flores. El pago de las contribuciones es pilar fundamental para obtener los recursos necesarios para la activación de proyectos productivos y prestar servicios públicos de calidad. Hernández dijo que por
las circunstancias de crisis económica es necesario reconsiderar y otorgar facilidades a los contribuyentes para el cumplimiento de sus obligaciones en materia de derechos de control vehicular y evitar cargas adicionales que se van acumulando por lapsos prolongados, impidiendo de esta manera toda posibilidad de pago. “Se busca fortalecer la
ENERGÍA EÓLICA
Sigue horario verano Cambio será hasta el 7 de noviembre POR MIGUEL TIMOSHENKOV TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
DOMINGO 31 DE OCTUBRE LAREDO — “Elmo’s Green Thumb” se presenta hoy en la Laredo Energy Arena a las 2 p.m. Los precios varían de 12 a 48 dólares. LAREDO — El equipo varonil de soccer de TAMIU recibe a St. Edward’s University a las 7 p.m. Entrada general es de 5 dólares. LAREDO — Juego de Hockey. Los Laredo Bucks reciben al equipo de Odessa Jackalopes hoy a las 7 p.m. en la Laredo Energy Arena.
LUNES 1 DE NOVIEMBRE NUEVO LAREDO — Hoy se presenta el espectáculo multidisciplinario “Estampas de la Historia de México según Posada” con el grupo Percha Teatro a las 8 p.m. en el Panteón Municipal Antiguo. Entrada libre. SAN ANTONIO — El Instituto Cultural de México presenta exposición de altares con motivo del Día de Muertos. Además hoy a las 7 p.m. se presenta el grupo de danza Urban 15 y el Ballet del Centro Cultural Guadalupe. Entrada gratuita. El ICM se ubica en el 600 Hemisfair Park.
MARTES 2 DE NOVIEMBRE NUEVO LAREDO — Artistas locales participan hoy en la “Muestra de Altares” en la Maquila Creativa-Espacio de Artes y Oficios, en Eva Sámano 1501 de la Colonia 20 de Noviembre (ex maquiladora Cives del Parque Industrial Longoria). SAN ANTONIO — El Instituto Cultural de México presenta exposición de altares con motivo del Día de Muertos. Además hoy a las 7 p.m. se presenta el grupo de danza Urban 15 y el Ballet del Centro Cultural Guadalupe. Entrada gratuita. El ICM se ubica en el 600 Hemisfair Park.
JUEVES 4 DE NOVIEMBRE LAREDO — El equipo de soccer femenil de TAMIU recibe a St. Edwards’s University a las 6 p.m. La entrada general es de 5dólares. Apoye al equipo de casa.
VIERNES 5 DE NOVIEMBRE LAREDO — Juego de Hockey. Los Laredo Bucks reciben al equipo de Rapid City Rush hoy a las 7:30 p.m. en la Laredo Energy Arena.
cultura de cumplimiento voluntario de las obligaciones fiscales, a fin de incrementar los ingresos”, dijo Hernández. Concluyó diciendo que con medidas de este tipo se fortalece la economía de la entidad, que busca ser más fuerte y competitiva. “Para lo cual se establecen facilidades para el pago de impuestos y otras contribuciones fiscales”, dijo.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
La Secretaria de Energía Georgina Kessel Martínez apoyó la iniciativa del gobernador Eugenio Hernández Flores para aprovechar el potencial eólico de Tamaulipas y cristalizar la construcción de lo que será la primera planta de energía eólica de Latinoamérica realizada por una administración gubernamental. Será el 18 de noviembre cuando se inicie la construcción de la planta en los Vergeles, municipio de San Fernando, con inversión de 328 millones de dólares, para generar una capacidad de 160 mega watts. Esta energía abastecerá a hospitales, escuelas públicas, alumbrado público y edificios gubernamentales.
Elevan acciones contra dengue ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
CD. VICTORIA, México — Históricamente, durante octubre y noviembre, la incidencia de casos de dengue suele incrementarse y este año también se ha registrado un aumento por este padecimiento. El Secretario de Salud en Tamaulipas Juan Guillermo Mansur Arzola dijo que en los municipios de Río Bravo y Reynosa se registraron los primeros 2 brotes de dengue. “Actualmente se tiene un registro de 365 casos de dengue”, dijo Mansur. Debido a lo anterior se han incrementado las acciones de fumigación. Mansur recomendó a la población insistir en la prevención, mantener el patio de los hogares limpio para evitar que el mosco encuentre las
“
Actualmente se tiene un registro de 365 casos de dengue”. SECRETARIO DE SALUD JUAN GUILLERMO MANSUR ARZOLA
condiciones para reproducirse; y aun y cuando ya no se han registrado lluvias, el clima aun se presenta húmedo, lo cual es propicio para que este tipo de mosco se incremente. Mencionó que en este periodo se trabaja y refuerzan las acciones de fumigación, sin dejar de lado la promoción al patio limpio y la descacharrización, además de la abatizción, debido a que ya se encuentran
circulando dos serotipos de dengue en la entidad y se han envido las alertas a las unidades de salud. Tamaulipas, actualmente ocupa el lugar número 15 por el numero de casos que se registran, pero estados vecinos como Nuevo León y Veracruz superan los 800 y 500 casos respectivamente y se espera que en la entidad no se supere los mil casos de dengue en este año.
Zuazua: es necesario orientar a jóvenes ‘NiNis’
Al reconocerse la importancia de las actividades diarias que comparten ciudades fronterizas de México y Estados Unidos, la Secretaría de Energía determinó que la conclusión del Horario de Verano se aplicará en Nuevo Laredo hasta el domingo 7 de noviembre. Para el resto de México será este domingo a las 2 a.m. Las ciudades que aplicarán el cambio hasta el 7 de noviembre son Ensenada, Tijuana y Mexicali en Baja California; Juárez y Ojinaga en Chihuahua; Acuña y Piedras Negras en Coahuila; Anáhuac en Nuevo León; y Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa y Matamoros en Tamaulipas. Esto incluye a municipios dentro de 20 kilómetros de la frontera norte hacia el interior de México. En Texas el cambio de horario también será el 7 de noviembre. El Centro Nacional de Metrología (CENAM), en Querétaro, México, anunció que el domingo 31 de octubre a las 2 a.m. se regresará el reloj para iniciar el cambio de horario de invierno en casi todo el país. De acuerdo a cifras estimadas por la Secretaría de Energía este año se alcanzó un ahorro de 1,304 millones de kilowatts-hora en el país. “Se estima que durante este año, el horario de verano evitó lanzar a la atmósfera alrededor de 1.6 millones de toneladas de bióxido de carbono equivalente, ya que se dejaron de quemar cerca de 3.1 millones de barriles de petróleo crudo equivalente”, indica la Secretaría de Energía.
PRI COLOCA ALTAR A RTC
POR MIGUEL TIMOSHENKOV TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
NUEVO LAREDO — Ante una moda denominada “NiNis”, organismos como el Juvenil Altruista Sagaz, se encuentra realizando estudios para ayudar a los adolescentes a ocupar mejor su tiempo. “NiNi” se considera al joven que ‘Ni’ estudia, ‘Ni’ trabaja. La presidenta de Sagaz, Gabriela Zuazua dijo que el objetivo del estudio es explotar las capacidades de los jóvenes “que son la herramienta del mañana”. “Ellos elegirán su futuro para que continúen creciendo como persona”, dijo ella. Sagaz ha trabajado con jóvenes locales en cortometrajes, donde sus talentos surgen y los motiva a incursionar en el ámbito del cine experimental. El organismo también
En México existe un promedio de 6 a 7 millones de jóvenes ‘NiNis’ (ni trabajan ni estudian). se ha agrupado en programas de salud, donde se les explica de su próxima vida de sexualidad, adicciones y cómo evitar aquello que les puede dañar. Zuazua estuvo en la ciudad apoyando a los jóvenes sobre en qué Universidad estudiar. “Muchas de las ocasiones están desorientados sobre cuales son las mejores opciones de una carrera profesional”, dijo ella. “El interés de este organismo es impulsarlos a que tomen sus propias decisiones, que enfrenten sus mismos riesgos y poder ser más independientes en un ámbito positivo”.
Zuazua considera que el gobierno debe asumir acciones más eficaces para motivar a estos jóvenes a trabajar o continuar sus estudios. Según Sagaz, en México existe un promedio de 6 a 7 millones de jóvenes ‘NiNis’. Estadísticas además demuestran que el 60% de los jóvenes, entre los 16 a 18 años de edad, se dedican a cuestiones ilícitas, incluido el crimen organizado. Zuazua dijo que cuandos los jóvenes buscan empleo y no lo encuentran recurren a esa actividad (crimen organizado) porque las oportunidades no existen.
Foto de cortesía | PRI-Nuevo Laredo
Siguiendo la tradición mexicana de colocar altares con motivo del 2 de noviembre, Día de Muertos, el Comité Municipal del PRI-Nuevo Laredo colocó un altar en honor a Rodolfo Torre Cantú, el viernes. En el evento participaron líderes de las diversas agrupaciones del tricolor. El altar de muertos lucía tres fotos de Torre Cantú en sus visitas a Nuevo Laredo. Además, de cabrito guisado, sopa de arroz, tacos, tamales en varias presentaciones, gorditas de azúcar, champurrado, atole y café, y pan de muerto.
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National
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
2 wildfires prompt evacuations in Colo. By CATHERINE TSAI AND P. SOLOMON BANDA ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOULDER, Colo. — Two wildfires burning in Colorado on Friday prompted the evacuations of the homes of 1,700 people as well as more in neighboring foothills where dozens of houses were burned in a blaze last month. Nearly 140 homes in three subdivisions in the Boulder County foothills were evacuated Friday morning shortly after the wildfires were first reported, and authorities issued emergency phone calls to 181 numbers. Officials later ordered evacuations for a portion of Boulder’s west side. Public buildings including a senior center, a courthouse and two medical buildings were also evacuated. Michelle Kelly of the Boulder County incident management team said at least 150 firefighters were battling the fires that merged, growing to about 134 acres by Friday afternoon. Two planes had made about 20 drops of water and slurry on the blaze and more were planned before dark. Boulder County sheriff ’s Cmdr. Rick Brough said the evacuations were more precautionary than anything else because heavy
Photo by Ed Andrieski | AP
An aircraft drops slurry on a wildfire in the foothills west of Boulder, Colo., on Friday. winds prompted fears the fire could quickly spread. He said currently no homes were immediately threatened and the wind has died down. Winds of 17 to 23 mph with gusts as high as 35 mph were forecast through the evening, but were expected to weaken today. Brough said investigators believe the first fire
was human caused because it started in city open space and that the second one was sparked by embers from the first. Marjorie Leidig first saw the smoke and then the flames from her home in Sunshine Canyon west of Boulder. Soon, she was grabbing important personal possessions and fleeing a wildfire for the sec-
ond time in seven weeks. “The process is very traumatizing,” Leidig said. “You literally have a half hour to put everything in your car and get out of there.” Leidig was forced out of her home for four days by the fire in September, and doesn’t know how long the evacuation will be this time. “It’s getting old,” she
Congressman’s fate awaits voters By APRIL CASTRO ASSOCIATED PRESS
SONORA, Texas — Young Democrats in this sweeping West Texas district are upset about U.S. Congressman Ciro Rodriguez’s vote for President Barack Obama’s health care reform. And even though it could cost him his job, the Democrat makes no apologies. “I’m willing to pay the price because it was the right thing to do,” Rodriguez said. Young, mostly Latino Democrats, who make up 87 percent of the voting age population in the county, are exactly the group that could determine whether Rodriguez, a Democrat himself, returns for another term in Congress. His Republican opponent, Francisco Canseco, is capitalizing on that antigovernment frustration, and Rodriguez is struggling to keep even the Hispanic vote that many thought would be his stronghold. Pundits are calling the fight to represent the 20county district that stretches from El Paso to San Antonio and down to the U.S.Mexico border a tossup. District voters supported Obama over Sen. John McCain in 2008 by 2.7 percentage points. That same year, Rodriguez beat his Republican opponent by almost 14 percentage points, in the district where 61 percent of the voting age population is Hispanic.
By TOM HAYS NEW YORK — Mobster Salvatore Vitale had a hand in at least 11 murders, including that of a fellow gangster in the fallout from the infamous Donnie Brasco case. Despite the carnage, he was spared a life term Friday. A judge instead sentenced the Mafia turncoat to time served after federal prosecutors praised his total betrayal of his own crime syndicate — and after he apologized to the families of his victims. “I committed some really horrible crimes I’ll always be ashamed of, and I pray for forgiveness,” Vitale said in federal court in Brooklyn. The evidence provided by the 63-year-old since his arrest in 2003 has helped decimate the once-
Teen testifies about abuse at torture trial By TERRY COLLINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Edward Ornelas/San Antonio Express-News | AP
Former President Bill Clinton hugs U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez during a rally at the Palo Alto Performing Arts Center in San Antonio, on Oct. 14. Young Democrats in this sweeping West Texas district are upset about Rodriguez’s vote for President Barack Obama’s health care reform. And even though it could cost him his job, the Democrat makes no apologies. "I’m willing to pay the price because it was the right thing to do," Rodriguez said. Canseco’s campaign did not return calls from The Associated Press seeking an interview. But his “last name doesn’t hurt him,” said Ben Taylor, publisher of the weekly Devil’s River News. “For some of the died-in-the-wool Democrats that vote Democratic that are Hispanic, he has a combination of the two that they can relate to. If they vote along cultural lines, Canseco has the answer on that end, too.” Rodriguez expressed his own frustration. “A lot of the young people don’t even know what it means to be a Democrat, what it means to be a Republican, they just get caught up with what comes
out on Fox,” Rodriguez said. “That whole thing is something that we’re having to fight.” The frustration is evident in Sonora, at the crossroads of the border region and the ranchlands of west central Texas. Ninety miles from the Mexican border, residents in Sonora aren’t talking about border security or illegal immigration. These days, they are focused on the economy. The town is more than half Hispanic, but whites and Latinos both are angry about what they see as runaway government spending and health care reform. Politics here is split three ways: Most Anglos are conserva-
tives who will vote Republican, older Mexican Americans are died-in-the-wool Democrats, devoted to Rodriguez. The younger Hispanic generation, those whose parents and grandparents preached the gospel of straight-ticket Democratic voting, are torn between the two. “There’s a divide among all voters and it’s true among Hispanics, when you have different economic levels, higher education achievement levels, the difference between how long people have been here, native born and foreign born and naturalized votes,” said James Aldrete, a Democratic consultant for the Rodriguez campaign.
Mob man is sentenced to time served ASSOCIATED PRESS
said. Still, Leidig, a clinical psychologist who has lived in the area for 37 years, said she “loves living in the mountains.” For 49-year-old engineer Joe Paulson, a city evacuation alert to his cell phone was enough to send him back to his two-story house in the evacuation area. He threw papers and photos in
a suitcase while friends helped remove his five bicycles. “I just started grabbing stuff and flinging it,” Paulson said. “I’ll wait to panic later.” Third grade teacher Kalan Orobona, 28, raced home after getting a call from his brother at school. His wife had already left with their dog but Orobona stayed behind to rake leaves away from the house. “I had to leave the kids behind for the Halloween party,” said Orobona, who said a student teacher took over his class. An air tanker buzzed over the neighborhood as Orobona raked leaves in his flip-flops and officers went door to door as neighbors packed up their cars. The fires are closer to the city than the wildfire that destroyed more than 160 houses in the foothills last month. That fire was the most destructive in Colorado history in terms of property damage. Fire officials said the blaze isn’t as dangerous as the September wildfire that burned 10 square miles, because of the calmer winds. “A lot’s going to depend on the weather at this point,” Brough said. There were no immediate reports of power outages, injuries or damage to buildings, he said.
SALVATORE VITALE: Former mob man was sentenced to time served. fearsome Bonanno organized crime family, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Andres. “The Mafia today is weaker because of his cooperation,” Andres said. “Mr. Vitale provided lead after lead. ... The results speak for themselves.” The former underboss pleaded guilty in April 2003 to racketeering conspiracy and murder-in-aid of racketeering, and has served nearly eight years behind bars. He admitted involvement in 11 slayings between 1976 and 1999. According to a government memo, Vitale has identified more than 500 mobsters and their associates across the United
States and elsewhere. His cooperation, including testimony at six trials, has led to convictions of four Bonanno bosses — one his former friend and brother-in-law — and dozens of lower-ranking family members. The memo says Vitale provided information on more than 30 gangland slayings. In three instances, the information helped investigators locate “the remains of at least three Mafia victims buried long ago.” The son of a Brooklyn dishwasher and baker, Vitale began his life of crime in the late 1960s after a stint in the Army. Over the next three decades, he was involved in a full menu of mayhem: murder, arson, extortion and hijacking. He was rising through the Bonanno ranks when
FBI agent Joe Pistone went undercover to infiltrate the group from 1976 to 1981, using the name “Donnie Brasco” — the basis of the Al PacinoJohnny Depp movie. Once the family learned about the infiltration in 1981, Vitale and others were ordered to shoot and kill the family member who had sponsored the agent. Vitale observed the oath of omerta — silence — until the decision seven years ago that earned him leniency Friday, but also made him the target of death threats. He’s now expected to enter the witness protection program. At sentencing, he recalled admiring neighborhood gangsters before one day becoming one himself. “I’ll truly regret that day for the rest of my life,” he said.
STOCKTON, Calif. — A teenage boy who stumbled into a Northern California health club nearly two years ago almost naked with a chain shackled to his ankle testified Friday that a neighbor cut him with a knife, lit his pants on fire and beat him unconscious with a boxing glove. In his first public appearance since then, Kyle Ramirez, 18, took the witness stand and vividly described the abuses he said he suffered at the hands of defendant Anthony Waiters and others while being held captive in 2008. They “would just hit me. My back, my head. Basically everywhere,” Ramirez testified. Stunned jurors shook their heads as the teen gave his riveting testimony in San Joaquin County Superior Court. Waiters, 31, is one of four people accused of torturing Ramirez and holding him captive in a Tracy, Calif., home. Waiters has pleaded not guilty to aggravated mayhem, torture, kidnapping and false imprisonment involving the teen. Michael Schumacher, his wife Kelly Layne Lau and the teen’s then-legal guardian Caren Ramirez have pleaded guilty to charges that included use of a deadly weapon and causing great bodily injury to a child. They could face at least 30 years in prison. During questioning by prosecutor Angela Hayes, Kyle Ramirez testified that Waiters beat and burned him shortly before Thanksgiving 2008. “They were all just laughing at me because I was trying to put the fire out,” said Ramirez, then about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 100 pounds. The teen, now 6 feet 2 inches and 250 pounds, recounted other acts of cruelty, alleging Waiters once got a knife from the kitchen and cut his arm while Ramirez and Lau held him down. “They cut my arm and poured bleach on it. It burned,” he said. Caren Ramirez then
Photo by Rich Pedroncelli | AP
Kyle Ramirez, 18, took the witness stand Friday to describe the abuses he said he suffered at the hands of Anthony Waiters. Waiters, 31, is one fo four accused of torturing Ramirez and holding him captive in a Tracy, Calif., home for more than a year. Waters has pleaded not guilty. put salt and butter on his arm and it was later wrapped with clear tape, he said. The teen told attorney Allan Jose, who represents Waiters, that before Waiters sliced Ramirez, he was hit with an aluminum baseball bat earlier in the day. “Apparently that wasn’t enough, so he cut my arm,” Ramirez testified. In a separate incident, Waiters burned him with a metal bat that had been heated in a fireplace near a spot where Ramirez often slept while chained to a table, the teen testified. He said his alleged abusers typically told him they were punishing him for being rude or not doing his chores. Ramirez recalled getting hit in the head so much that wax or super glue was used to stop the bleeding. The teen told Jose that he hit his head on the fireplace and was knocked out after Waiters hit him with a boxing glove. The lawyer asked if Ramirez had to go to a hospital afterward. “Even if I had to go to the hospital, they weren’t going to take me,” the teen replied.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
Photo by Jason Redmond | AP
Ana Nicole Smith’s former boyfriend, lawyer Howard K. Stern, was found guilty on two counts in the Smith drug conspiracy trial.
Photo by Jaime R. Carrero/The Tyler Morning Telegraph | AP
Writer Jutta Schreiner describes what it was like to live as a young girl in Nazi Germany during the Second World War in her home in Tyler, Texas. Schreiner’s childhood was filled with brainwashing, war and faith in the Nazi Party. As a 9-year-old German girl, she survived the Royal Air Force’s first attack on a German city, her hometown, Lubeck. About that time, she enrolled early in Hitler Youth and three years later, as the war was ending, she helped her mother destroy the last traces of her father’s existence and ties with the Nazi Party. Schreiner, now 77 with her white wispy hair and frail stature, says it was for safety -- an effort to protect the family from association with the Nazis if her father ever came home from the war.
Woman recalls life in WWII By MELISSA CROWE TYLER MORNING TELEGRAPH
TYLER, Texas — Jutta Schreiner’s childhood was filled with brainwashing, war and faith in the Nazi Party. As a 9-year-old German girl, she survived the Royal Air Force’s first attack on a German city, her hometown, Lubeck. About that time, she enrolled early in Hitler Youth and three years later, as the war was ending, she helped her mother destroy the last traces of her father’s existence and ties with the Nazi Party. Schreiner, now 77 with her white wispy hair and frail stature, says it was for safety — an effort to protect the family from association with the Nazis if her father ever came home from the war. Her book, The Signature Call, shares short snippets of surviving the war — stealing coal, hiding from airstrikes, joining Hitler Youth, and the day her father returned from the war. She clasps her fragile hands under her chin and peacefully reenacts her stories’ introduction. “These are war stories that happened in the Second World War that I lived through.” A few years ago, she started sharing her war stories at the dinner table
among talks of politics, religion or her grandchildren’s day at school. Her friends and family encouraged her to write her story. “I started telling about my war stories and my son-in-law always said, ‘You have to write those down; they’ll forget and so you have to write those down,”’ she said. She claims the stories as memories rather than “total facts.” Schreiner was born in 1933 in Lubeck, the first German city to be attacked in substantial numbers by the Royal Air Force. Her mother was a housewife and her father, a car salesman, she remembers, “was a 1,000 percent Hitler guy.” In 1936, membership in Hitler Youth became compulsory for 10-year-old children. The program was intended to keep children busy and combat juvenile delinquency. Schreiner walked with her older sister, Christa, to Hitler Youth meetings. Because Schreiner was a fast runner, she said she joined Hitler Youth early, when she was 8 or 9 years old, just after World War II started. While Schreiner wrote in her book that children were “oblivious to the horrors being committed by some members of the Nazi
party, and part of its goal was to “brainwash” children, she said it was not all negative. “Though it is humiliating to many that these beliefs were instilled in us as children, many of the young Germans were honest, empathetic and caring human beings who lived their lives on the principles of morality that were instilled in them at home,” she wrote in her book. The Hitler Youth Troops had mandatory meetings on Wednesdays and Saturdays, kept daily logs and did one good deed a day, be it helping someone cross the street or babysitting an hour for a busy mother. “It kept kids busy,” Schreiner said. She said children’s basic education and morals still came from the family. Decades later, she said the organization’s lessons have helped her survive not only the war, but a divorce and cancer. “The urge to survive is a strong one,” she said. “And we survived it.” She was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2002. She said cancer gave her “more time.” “I cannot sit quietly, not to do anything,” she said. “With cancer, I was restricted in walking and doing things, so I wrote my war stories.” She said she owes the
book’s completion to Sue Deakins and Jenny Molberg — “the wind beneath my wings,” Schreiner said. Deakins remains humble about her involvement. “I realized she was never going to get it published if somebody didn’t help her with it — so much of the time she was in the hospital,” Deakins said. When Schreiner was tired of writing, Deakins and Molberg encouraged her to keep at it. They would say, “Come on Oma, you have to write it, you have to write more,”’ Schreiner said. “That’s how it came about.” One reason for her book is to remind others that people are kind, she said. Another is to remind people of what happened during the war “and not let it happen again,” she said. “Not make the same mistake, not just believe everything people tell you,” she said. “You should think about it and make your own decision: ‘Could this be possible?’ We were pretty little, 8, 9 years, 10. We could think, but I don’t know how much it takes to see political implications.” When she saw Jewish families “driven down the street like a herd of cows,” she said people would say the families were going to “working camps.”
Hollywood doctors face fallout from Anna Smith case By LINDA DEUTSCH ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — In hospitals, medical offices and pharmacies, Anna Nicole Smith was routinely registered under pseudonyms to protect her privacy. But in the wake of the convictions of her psychiatrist and lawyer-boyfriend for using false names on her drug prescriptions, the Hollywood medical community awoke to the realization Friday that the practice might be off limits and some doctors could avoid treating celebrity clients rather than risk criminal charges. “This is a shocker,” criminal defense attorney Harland Braun, who has represented celebrities and doctors, said of Thursday’s verdicts. He said the convictions of Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Howard K. Stern for obtaining drug prescriptions for Smith under false names contradicts common practice. “It’s absolutely necessary for survival in Hollywood,” he said, noting that in the age of paparazzi and celebrity gossip websites, information on star illnesses can be worth a lot of money. Medical professionals routinely use pseudonyms for celebrities to protect their privacy and until now no one was being prosecuted for doing it, he said. “If it stands that keeping these people anonymous is a criminal act, a lot of doc-
tors will have to refuse to take celebrity patients because they can’t protect them,” he said. Smith, the late Playboy model and reality TV star, was known as Jane Brown, Susie Wong and Vickie Lynn Marshall, her true name. She was not the only star with a medical pseudonym. Michael Jackson had several, although the doctor who pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in his death is not charged with using a false name to get him drugs. Performers such as Britney Spears and Mariah Carey also were known to use aliases when seeking care. Attorney Ellyn Garafalo, whose client Dr. Sandeep Kapoor was acquitted of all charges including false name allegations in the Smith case, said “these statutes involving use of fake names have never been enforced in this context.” She said it was so unusual that she was unable to find case law on the subject when doing research for the trial. “There are doctors in Beverly Hills today saying, ’Oh, my God, this is illegal?’... It just goes on all the time,” Garofalo said. If the convictions of Stern and Eroshevich stand, “this whole process of helping celebrities protect their privacy is in jeopardy. What physician in his right mind wants to take on a celebrity when they will get charged criminally?” she said.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
LEAP OF FAITH
SPOOKTACULAR Continued from Page 1A Zapata National Bank representatives as judges. Three winners per grade level were selected. After the contest, students were rotated through several stations for reading time with Arellano. “Something that is really important is that we incorporate the academics into the fun activity,” Arellano said. Arellano read “Ghosts in the House” by Kazuno Kohara. Soon after that all students were expected to write a story piece about the book, since the fourth graders are tested in writing, Arellano said. “That’s going to be one of the things with higher-order thinking questions,” Arellano said. “Beginning with (kindergarten), we start transitioning our students so everyone does some writing at their expected level.” Teachers also prepared other fun Halloween activ-
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Maria Adela Alvarez, left, and school librariran Marlen Guerra dressed as witches when they entertained third, fourth and fifth graders at Arturo L. Benavides Elementary on Friday. ities for the students in each classroom. Costumes were not required and children and staff only get dressed up once a year for Halloween, but two children showed up without costumes and felt left out, Arellano said.
It is unknown why they were not dressed, but some teachers got together and got some costumes brought to the school shortly after, Arellano said. “Our teachers were quick to act,” Arellano said. “We have a caring
staff and everyone in our campus is essential in the academic and social success of each child.” Before dismissal the children were going to enjoy the Candy Lane, Arellano said. “Just to make sure everyone gets to enjoy some goodies for this weekend,” Arellano said. The Candy Lane was extra candy for the children to enjoy donated by staff, parents and community members, according to the activity agenda. All festivities were open to parents and the community, Arellano said. “Parental and community involvement is very important for this particular school,” Arellano said. “We are the heartbeat of the community, so the community thrives on the activities and success that we bring about in this school.” (Lorraine L. Rodriguez may be reached at (956)7282557.)
BAND Continued from Page 1A The program consisted of a rider narrating her experience on a roller coaster, Martinez said. Practice for the competitions begins in July, Martinez said. "Our band is very well
prepared, but that day we had quite a few errors and we couldn’t keep up with the other groups," the band director said. The band has received 10 consecutive Division I ratings.
Despite the loss, the band will now begin to prepare for the Christmas show and the UIL concert contest, Martinez said. For next year’s competition the band will play the rock band Chicago’s "25
or 6 to 4," "Saturday in the Park" and "Make Me Smile," among other songs, Martinez said. (Lorraine L. Rodriguez may be reached at (956) 728-2557).
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB Continued from Page 1A ing paperwork and trying to find money for the club. “I was really surprised that, never having worked with kids before, I enjoyed this so much,” she said,
What is the Boys & Girls Club of Zapata County? The Boys & Girls Club of Zapata is a nonprofit organization that provides the children of Zapata County with a safe and fun place to participate in a variety of physical and educational activities. It consists of a main facility in Zapata and usually has an additional summer facility in the A.L. Benavides Elementary School gym in San Ignacio. The B&G Club of Zapata has about 375 members. United Way of Laredo provides general funding.
Activities
Many activities are available to children at the Boys & Girls Club of Zapata County. To help prevent obesity and give children a fun activity, the club lets them exercise to music. At the club, children can also participate in various sports, including volleyball, basketball, soccer and football. For more educational activities, staff and volunteers may help children with their homework. Computers are also available to for homework or educational games. These computers do not have Internet access. Arts and crafts also are available.
Meal Programs Active children have appetites, so the Boys & Girls Club offers children meals at its facility. Even nonmember children are welcome to get a meal there. During summer, the B&G
Club serves lunch and an afternoon snack to children. During the school year, the club offers children an afterschool snack. The meals at the club are similar to what children would eat at school, such as chicken nuggets, burgers and spaghetti along with fruit, vegetables and milk. The club is working on getting breakfast meals from a state-funded food service.
Registration The Boys & Girls Club of Zapata accepts children from ages 6 to 18. Annual membership is $20 per child, and a payment plan is offered to parents or legal guardians who have trouble paying. Parents or legal guardians must also provide contact information, the child’s birth certificate, his or her Social Security number (only the child’s), school and other such information.
Security Security and safety are a top priority for the Boys & Girls Club of Zapata. All volunteers 18 and older undergo a mandatory background check. In addition, volunteers must be with a staff member when tending to children. When membership children enter and leave the facility, they must scan an ID card, which will record their time of entrance and exit. Children are not allowed to leave the facility, and parents must pick their children up inside the building.
Photo by Sang Tan | AP
British skier Jamie Matthew jumps during practice at the Freeze snowboard and ski festival at Battersea Power Station in London, on Friday.
VOTING Continued from Page 1A While Cuellar and Underwood differ on many issues, they agree that they do not want to see the violence from Mexico spill into Laredo. In the wake of the Falcon Lake incident, both candidates want stronger border security. “It was a great tragedy and the last thing I want is our federal government is to do nothing,” Underwood said. Underwood said even though Cuellar has done work to help border patrol, more could have been done in the past six years. He said that Cuellar’s project for unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles around the border is expensive and that more of
the money should be used toward border patrol agents on the ground. “I don’t want to do away with it completely, but it’s better to have people on the ground.” Cuellar is currently the chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism and has authored many border security bills and passed legislation for law enforcement on the border. “I’ve done a lot to make sure that the people in my counties feel safe. Voters need to know that it’s real important to have a congressman who is from Zapata County, who’s here close to the border.”
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors VOLLEYBALL
MLB
Courtesy photo
The Lady Hawks volleyball team is the District 32-3A champions as they enter the postseason as the No. 15 ranked squad in the state.
Into the playoffs Lady Hawks’ prepare for postseason By CLARA SANDOVAL ZAPATA TIMES
While the majority of the high school volleyball teams across the state Texas have ended their seasons, a select few will continue into a postseason quest for the state title. The Zapata Lady Hawks will be counted among the few privileged teams that earned a berth in the Class 3A state volleyball play-offs after they were crowned District 32-3A champions. “It’s always great to bring a district title home,” Zapata head coach Rosie Villarreal said. “But this year’s team was a little different. The chemistry between the girls is indescribable. These girls bonded together as a team.” The Lady Hawks, who are ranked No. 15 in the state, became sisters on the court and brought home a district title for the Zapata community.
“They basically take care of each other. I didn’t have the trouble of working with eleven different attitudes, which is always the hardest thing to work with especially with girls,” Villarreal said with a laugh. Villarreal give a lot of credit to the team captains, Brandi King and Selina Mata, for brining the Lady Hawks together at the start of the season. “I have to give my captains a lot of kudos because they are the ones that made sure that our season went smoothly,” she said. “They took charge and knew what needed to be done in order to be successful.” King and Mata worked together to get the message across to the rest of the team: always work hard to make it as far as possible. The junior varsity coach, Mario Benavidez, prepared the JV players for varsity
Photo by David J. Phillip | AP
San Francisco Giants’ Cody Ross slides safely home in front of Texas Rangers’ Matt Treanor during the seventh inning Thursday, in San Francisco. Ross scored from second on a hit by Juan Uribe. The Giants won 9-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
HOMEWARD BOUND Rangers bring World Series to Arlington By JAIME ARON ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON — With the home team struggling, the crowd began to chant, “Let’s go Rangers! Let’s go Rangers!” Down on the field, the Dallas Cowboys weren’t inspired. But that rallying cry heard during their game Monday night sent a clear message: the Dallas-Fort Worth area is no longer dominated by football. Not this fall, at least. And certainly not this week. The Texas Rangers may not be “America’s Team,” but they are American League champions, and right now that’s more important. They’ve brought the World Series to Arlington this weekend, a first in the franchise’s 39 years here. Fans are so giddy that not even opening the series with a pair of
Photo by David J. Phillip | AP
From left, Texas Rangers’ Michael Young, Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler and Mitch Moreland wait for a pitcher change during the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants Thursday, in San Francisco. crushing losses in San Francisco can dampen the mood. “I think it’s fantastic,” former Cowboys great
Roger Staubach said. “It would be phenomenal if they won it.” How’s this for a sign of the times: At a luncheon
Thursday marking the 100-day countdown to the upcoming Super
See RANGERS PAGE 2B
See VOLLEYBALL PAGE 2B
CROSS COUNTRY
NFL
La Feria ousts Zapata ’Boys shy of expectations By JAIME ARON By CLARA SANDOVAL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ZAPATA TIMES
The Lady Hawks crosscountry team found themselves in unfamiliar territory at the end of the district meet in Zapata on Monday morning. Despite a valiant effort by the Zapata team, the District 32-3A crown went to the No. 2 ranked team in the state, La Feria. The Lady Lions dethroned Zapata, who had a strong hold of the district title since 2004. The top three runners at the district meet shattered the district time of 12:34 that has stood since 2006. The individual girls title went to La Feria’s Danielle Rodriguez (12:00) who edged out the defending district champion, senior Marlena Garcia by two seconds. Third place went to Zapata’s Jazmine Garcia (12:26) while Erica Hernandez (13:04) wasn’t far behind, finishing in seventh place. The junior varsity title went to Zapata, stopping the Lady Hawks from going home empty handed as Al-
Courtesy photo
The Lady Merlins seventh grade cross country team took home first place honors at their district meet last weekend, setting the Zapata cross country program up for extended success as the girls continue through their middle and high school careers. ba Jasso captured the individual JV title. Teammates Wendy Medina (third) and Angela Darnell (ninth) rounded out the top ten for the Lady Hawks in the junior varsity division. The freshmen Lady
Hawks fought through a tough meet and captured four of the top five spots on their way to a fourth team title. Sara Pena was crowned freshmen girls individual
See CROSS COUNTRY PAGE 2B
ARLINGTON — Exactly 100 days before the Super Bowl, Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman aren’t expecting their old team to make it. They can hardly believe it, either. “To be done before you get out of the month of October is pretty shocking,” Aikman said. Like many fans, the Hall of Fame quarterbacks were expecting big things from the Dallas Cowboys this season. They also had more than the usual reasons to root for their old club — Staubach is the chairman of the Super Bowl host committee and Aikman the vice-chair. Aikman also is broadcasting the game for Fox. But Dallas is 1-5, closer to earning the top pick in the draft than a spot in the playoffs. And the Cowboys just lost quarterback Tony Romo to a broken left collarbone. So instead of at least trying to become the first team to play the Super Bowl in their home stadi-
Photo by Mike Fuentes | AP
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo leaves the field after his team lost 41-35 to the New York Giants Monday, in Arlington. um, they appear ready to join the worst records of the Jerry Jones era — 1-15 in Aikman’s rookie year and 5-11 in Aikman’s final season and each of the next two years. “I thought we would be more 5-1 than 1-5,” Staubach said. “I still feel we can be a respectful team the rest of the year. But we have put ourselves in a
hole.” Both spoke Thursday at a luncheon at Cowboys Stadium celebrating the countdown to kickoff. Jones took part, too, and the owner said he’s hopeful the new starting quarterback, 38-year-old Jon Kitna, can lead a turnaround.
See COWBOYS PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
Favre’s status uncertain By DAVE CAMPBELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Brett Favre’s healing ability has been tested before. It’s headed for another down-to-the-wire finish. The latest will-he-orwon’t-he drama in Favre’s 20-year career continued Friday when Minnesota listed him as questionable for Sunday’s game at New England. The Vikings will wait until the very end to answer the burning question whether their injured 41-year-old quarterback will play. Favre was on the field for drills Friday, with limited participation in practice for the first time this week. He wore a wrap on his left ankle, which has two fractures that have threatened his NFL-record streak of 291 straight games started. Coach Brad Childress said he “probably will” wait until the last hours before kickoff to decide. He didn’t directly answer a question if he’ll base the decision on Favre’s recent rough performances or strictly on his health. Earlier this week, Childress said he won’t consider the streak when he decides. “Can he protect himself ? And what gives us the best
Photo by Morry Gash | AP
In this file photo taken Sunday, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre walks off Lambeau Field after a game against the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won 28-24. Favre returned to practice Friday, for the first time this week. chance to win?” Childress said in response to a question about whether he wants Favre to start. If he doesn’t, Tarvaris Jackson will take over. “I’m not losing any sleep over it. It will all sort itself out,” Childress said. Favre has both a stress fracture and an avulsion fracture in the foot, which was hurt in last Sunday’s loss at Green Bay. He threw a few easy passes in warmups, but he didn’t roll out or take any deep dropbacks while reporters were allowed to watch. Childress said Favre
took the field before the rest of the team Friday “so he could move around a little bit,” and the coach said Favre’s progress was “encouraging.” Childress said he’ll continue to be evaluated throughout the weekend. Favre walked in and out of the locker room briefly Friday without speaking to reporters, but Thursday he said he “wouldn’t put anything past me” in regard to being ready to play. Childress was a little tense while he fielded questions about Favre’s status Friday afternoon, keeping
his answers short and snappy: — How would you assess his mobility? “I’m not giving any scouting reports. Better than an iron deer on the lawn.” — Was he wearing an orthotic in his shoe? “I’m not a podiatrist. I couldn’t comment on that.” Jackson claimed he couldn’t tell much about Favre’s condition from how he moved in practice, and wide receiver Percy Harvin pleaded the fifth, too, about whether Favre looked like be ready to go in 48 hours.
CROSS COUNTRY Continued from Page 1B champion followed by Alma Perez (third), Daniela Vela (fourth) and Norma Cepeda (fifth). The Lady Hawks also have a bright future with a strong middle school program that took home the seventh grade team title at the district meet last weekend. “As a whole, the 2010 season was a successful one as years past have been,” Zapata coach Mike Villarreal said. “At almost each and every meet the Lady Hawks
and Lady Merlins sent more girls to the line than any other team in attendance.” Their victory marks the fifth team title for the seventh grade team. Norma Ramirez, who is making a name for her at the middle school level, led the seventh grade girls to victory. Joining Ramirez on the victory stand were team members Alexa Alvarez, Raquel Almaguer, Andrea Garza and Janie Guzman.
Ahleli Sanchez, Stephanie Chavez, Valeria Rodriguez, and Rebecca Martinez also ran with the winning squad from Zapata. The eighth grade team claimed the runner-up trophy. Evelin Huerta, Mary Rodriguez, Alexandra Garcia, Brianna Gonzalez and Nadya Mercado led the eighth grade team at the meet. Daphne Gomez, Kassy Galvan, Jazmine Velasquez, Corina Martinez, Ana Garcia, Cristina Gonzalez, Ana
Resendiz and Itzel Gonzalez filled out the remainder of the Lady Merlins squad coached by Laura Villarreal. “This is a sport that requires time, hard work and dedication. The success of our program in Zapata depends on the efforts given each and every day by these young ladies. Thanks to all those who attended the meet and who have shown support for our cross country program,” Mike Villarreal said.
VOLLEYBALL Continued from Page 1B competition and he took it to heart. “Last year my JV coach was given the task to prepare certain girls on the team to get them ready for this year,” Villarreal said. “Even during the summer league in Laredo, coach Benavides would call me and tell me that the girls didn’t play well and I would always reply by telling him not to worry, our season doesn’t start until August 2,
and then we’d pull things together.” Villarreal knew she had a team that could take the district title but never imagined that the Lady Hawks would do so great in the preseason and end up ranked for the first time in the school’s history. “I knew we could win district, but I also knew that we would have to work hard for it,” Villarreal said. “I had no doubt that the
district title would be ours. We went undefeated during district, did great in preseason and are state ranked. These girls deserve all the success they have had.” Zapata will await the winner of Palacios and Ingleside game to open their postseason. Palacios and Ingleside will square off on Tuesday. If Palacios wins the Lady Hawks will play on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Alice. Zapa-
ta has not been able to make arrangements with Ingleside, so if Ingleside wins, the game may be played in Alice or Falfurrias on either Thursday or Saturday. Zapata doesn’t want to skip a beat and plays Laredo’s Alexander in a practice scrimmage this afternoon in Zapata. The Lady Bulldogs are the District 29-5A runnerup team.
RANGERS Continued from Page 1B Bowl being played in Arlington, former Cowboys greats Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Daryl Johnston and Drew Pearson, plus team owner Jerry Jones, all slapped on red Rangers hats. “When you’ve got the World Series in town, this should be a baseball town,” Jones said. It’s pretty wild to think the World Series is beating the Super Bowl to town, especially considering the pedigree of both teams and the popularity of both sports in the Lone Star State. The Rangers moseyed into Arlington in 1972, just a few months after the Cowboys won their first Super Bowl title. While the Cowboys have won four more Super Bowls, the Rangers never even won a postseason series until this month. They’ve been so bad for so long that it seemed like there was a secret clause when they moved from Washington — the Rangers were allowed to borrow the sports spotlight from April to August, then had to get out of the way for pro, college and high school football. After all, the joke in Texas is that there are only two seasons: football and spring football. Now the Rangers are
messing with Texas traditions in a big way. They’re playing meaningful games later in the calendar than the Cowboys, Longhorns and Aggies. “If you would have looked at the season and said the Rangers are going to be in the World Series and the Cowboys are 1-5, you would think somebody was smoking something,” Staubach said. Aikman said the Rangers being up while the Cowboys are down has helped the baseball team’s rise in prominence. “And, good for them,” Aikman said. “They’ve embodied, really, what team is all about. It’s been a good story. I’ve certainly been proud to watch them and the way that they’ve played. I hope they can pull it around and win a World Series.” Aikman has lived in the area for 21 years, so he’s not too surprised by the shift in loyalty among local fans. “I’ve always said Dallas is a winner’s town,” he said. “It might be a Mavs town next week.” Give it two weeks, at least. Rangers merchandise is selling so quickly that stores are replenishing their inventory daily. Interest was rising throughout
the playoffs, then became overwhelming the minute the Rangers beat the Yankees for the AL pennant. “The line was wrapped around the store — in fact, behind the parking lot,” said Robert Desimone, promotions coordinator for Academy Sports & Outdoors, who was at his chain’s store about 25 miles from the stadium in the Mesquite suburb. “We had fans just going nuts, screaming, doing the wave. People were driving by honking horns. You can tell everybody has Rangers Fever.” Jamey Newberg has been a Rangers fan since 1976, when he went to his first game at age 7. He was one of those kids who sneaked a radio under the covers to follow games that ran past his bedtime. Now he’s a lawyer who finds time to maintain a website devoted to the hard-core Rangers fan. His newbergreport.com is no rah-rah chat room, either. It’s aimed at the connoisseur fan, crammed with respected analysis and detailed reports on minor leaguers. “I was going at a rate of 500-800 subscribers every year; this year, I have 3,000 new subscribers,” Newberg said. “The site is now getting 1 million hits per week. Those are pretty good indications the casual
Photo by Jack Dempsey | AP
This Oct. 16, file photo shows Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III waving following a 31-25 win against Colorado in Boulder, Colo. The Bears are atop the Big 12 South.
Mad Men: Bears vs. ’Horns By JIM VERTUNO ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Texas coach Mack Brown has decided it’s time to get mad about a disappointing season. Brown, who rarely airs any dirty laundry in his program, called out his players this week for their “arrogance” and “entitlement” and his assistants for not doing a good enough job with Texas losing three of its last four games. And with upstart No. 25 Baylor rolling into Austin this week, another upset loss at home could spawn a mushroom cloud of fury Saturday night. “I am the one who has to set the tempo,” Brown said. “We have to fix things. You cannot just lay down. You are not going to quit. You are not going to roll over and die ... If we are good enough to beat Nebraska, we are good enough to still go back and have a great season.” Texas beat Nebraska on the road. The Longhorns’ biggest problems have been at home. Texas (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) lost at home to UCLA and Iowa State and in both cases was badly outplayed. And while few Texas fans can conceive of losing to Baylor, the reality is the Bears bring in their best team in years behind tantalizing quarterback Rob-
ert Griffin. Griffin and third-year coach Art Briles together have pumped life into a previously moribund program. Baylor (6-2, 3-1) is ranked for the first time since 1993, bowl-eligible for the first time since 1996 and sitting atop the Big 12 South. This is a program that nearly was nearly jettisoned into no-man’s land last summer when it looked like the Big 12 might break apart. “We knew we could do it. The big key word around here is ‘believe,’ and we believe in each other,” Baylor defensive back Mikail Baker said. “Every time we’re out there we don’t think we’re going to lose, we know we’re going win the game. That is the attitude you have to have.” And that’s the big change under Briles: Baylor believes it will win. The challenge is making believers out of the rest of the country. Baylor is still considered an underdog Saturday. Beat Texas in Austin and the Bears serve notice that they could win the Big 12 South. “You can’t be satsified with being at the bottom or being in the middle,” Griffin said. “If we continue to go out and play, there’s no telling what can happen.”
COWBOYS Continued from Page 1B sports fan in town is jumping on the Rangers’ bandwagon.” Another indicator is all the claw and antler displays. For the uninitiated, that is the team’s shtick for celebrating key plays. A powerful hit or throw is acknowledged with a hand held up like a claw. Hustling plays are recognized with fingers splayed alongside the head like antlers, an homage to running like a deer. Folks are gluing sticks to batting helmets for homemade antlers and holding up mannequin arms (even prosthetics) with the fingers bent into claws. Tshirts featuring claws on front, antlers on back are among the top sellers. That’s what the people who started the Rangers chant at the Cowboys game were wearing. Expect even more Rangers gear at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday. Dallas plays at noon, then a few hours later the Rangers play Game 4 at their ballpark right next door. Staubach is among those planning to make it a doubleheader and he can’t wait. He was a baseball player years before becoming a quarterback and this will be his first World Series game.
“I felt better when (Romo) was healthy and was able to give us what he has to win these games,” Jones said. “On the other hand, I’m not about to dismiss the opportunity here with Kitna. That’d be nuts. Plus, I think he gives us a much better chance than to have the mentality that we don’t have a chance to win a lot of ballgames.” Romo doesn’t need surgery, just 6 to 8 weeks for the bone to heal on its own. Jones said it’s too early to say whether Romo will play again this season. “The faster he heals, the better I like (the chances),” Jones said. “We have to see what the circumstances are at that time. We have to see how well we are playing.” Jones brought up a saying he often heard from his college coaches: “They remember what you do in November.” His point was that even “if we don’t have an opportunity to be in the playoffs, we want to be playing good.” Aikman can commiserate with Romo because he broke his left collarbone in 1998. He missed five games plus a bye, then returned to lead the Cowboys to a division title. “It was my non-throw-
ing shoulder, so you’d kind of think that you could go out and play as long as you can tolerate the pain,” he said. “But I couldn’t throw the ball. I couldn’t open up my left shoulder at all to make a throw. And then you certainly are at risk in the pocket of injuring it even further.” He’s not ruling out a few more starts for Romo. “If you’re healthy and you’re told that you’re capable of playing and the medical staff signs off on it, to me, you play because that’s what you are paid to do,” Aikman said. “But I’m not the one paying bills and writing the checks, so it’s easy for me to say that.” Staubach said he’s available to play if things don’t work out with Kitna. Although he’s 68, Staubach was known as Captain Comeback. “I have offered to play quarterback on Sunday,” Staubach said. “My arm is in good shape. I think I can help them without Tony out there. I don’t know Kitna. He’s a nice guy, though. But he’s about my age, isn’t he? He is a veteran good quarterback, but I’m a veteran quarterback, too. ... I want the Cowboys to get back on track.”
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS BY | HELOISE HALLOWEEN HELP FOR PETS Dear Readers: Some pet owners enjoy dressing their pets in funny costumes for HALLOWEEN, but your pets should feel safe and happy on this night. Here are a few hints from our friends at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (www.aspca.org) and from the Heloise Files for a safe Halloween for all pets: If your dog or cat does don a costume, make sure that it fits well, or dress the animal in a black-and-orange bandana or bow. The constant ringing of the doorbell, strange people showing up and unusual noises can be stressful for your pets. Be sure that all inside animals are comfortably contained in another part of the house so they don’t run out. Make sure they are properly tagged and microchipped with identification in case they do get out. Candy is terrible for animals -- especially chocolate, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Treats for your pets on this night? Carrot pieces, apple slices or their favorite biscuits. Keep candy wrappers picked up, too; dogs may be attracted to the scent and ingest them, which can lead to blockage. If you decorate for Halloween, keep electric cords up and away from pets so they don’t chew on the cords or cause a tripping hazard. Have a great and fun Halloween, and keep your pets safe, on this night and every night! -- Heloise PET PAL
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HELOISE
Dear Readers: Frances Riel of Manchester, N.H., sent a photo of her male beagle mix, Skipper, hanging out in Mom’s chair. Frances says: “Skipper spends more time in my chair than I do. He was adopted from a shelter and has brought such joy to our family.” To see Skipper hanging out, visit www .Heloise.com. -- Heloise MEDICINE TREAT Dear Heloise: My dog had an operation, and the pain pills she had to take were bitter. All the tricks I’d used before didn’t work, and I hated forcing the pills down her throat. So I chopped up a dog treat in the food processor till it was like coarse bread crumbs, hid the pill inside a small ball of peanut butter, and then coated the peanut-butter ball with the dog-treat crumbs. Down the hatch, and saved a couple of fingers, too. -- Tim Merrill in Alexandria, Va. CAT FOOD Dear Readers: Healthy cats can eat any brand of cat food, as long as the food is balanced and nutritionally complete. However, we all know how picky cats can be. If your cat has specific dietary needs, there are special foods available. If you’re concerned about what to feed your cat, speak with your veterinarian. Do not feed cats dog food, because it is not formulated to meet a cat’s dietary needs. -- Heloise
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4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
A&M, Tech familiar foes By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Dave Einsel | AP
Houston Texans’ Derrick Ward celebrates the Texans’ 35-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the final minutes of a game Sunday, in Houston.
Texans ready for Round 2 with Colts By MICHAEL MAROT ASSOCIATED PRESS
INDIANAPOLIS — Peyton Manning and his teammates treat every game the same. They pay attention to the details, downplay the emotions and maintain their intensity — even when there’s a crucial rematch like Monday night against Houston. “It’s big because it’s the next one, it’s big because it’s a home game, it’s big because it’s a division team and it’s big because it’s a team that beat us the first time,” Manning said. “But we treat them (the games) all with the same respect.” Manning’s philosophy might explain why he’s won four MVP awards, two AFC titles, one Super Bowl and led Indy to the NFL’s best regular-season record this decade. But this week’s contest will be different. Indianapolis (4-2) hasn’t hosted a Monday night game since December 2006. Former coach Tony Dungy
will join the team’s ring of honor at halftime, and after winning six AFC South titles in eight years, the Colts reign could be in jeopardy. The Colts are 0-2 against AFC South foes for the first time, and now find themselves in the precarious position of needing to hold serve to get even with the Texans (4-2) in the head-to-head category. It’s as close to a mustwin game as the Colts will have all season. “If they win, they’ll get the tiebreaker and our first goal is to win the division,” defensive captain Gary Brackett said. “To do that, we’ve got to beat Houston.” The Texans certainly understand Indy’s predicament. After all, they’ve spent eight years chasing the Colts and sometimes branded these matchups as the most important in franchise history. Now, it appears, Houston has caught up to the big boys on the block. The Texans dominated
Indy in the season-opener, riding running back Arian Foster’s 231-yard day to a 34-24 victory and improving to 2-15 all-time against the Colts. Another win Monday would give Houston its first season sweep and the inside track to dethroning the division champs. “As I’ve said before, they’ve been a juggernaut in this division for years, and they’ve been our Achilles’ heel,” Foster said. “That (win) was only one game. You can’t win anything with only one game. So it wasn’t like we did anything. It was an important game, but it was only one game.” Winning again, in prime time, on national television and on the Colts’ home turf, would prove Round 1 was no fluke. And the Texans will get Indy at less than full strength. “This is a must-win for us,” Houston safety Bernard Pollard said. “This is a must-win for our defense. This is a time for us to step up.”
COLLEGE STATION — Ryan Tannehill’s father played for Texas Tech and he grew up cheering for the Red Raiders. It wasn’t until high school that the quarterback fell in love with Texas A&M and signed with the Aggies. “I’ve been nothing but excited to be here,” Tannehill said. “I’m thankful for my opportunity to be here. My parents have been supportive the whole way. There’s not much Tech stuff left in our house anymore, it’s all maroon.” On Saturday, Tannehill will face his former favorite school and could get his first career start at quarterback. Coach Mike Sherman used both Tannehill and Jerrod Johnson last week against Kansas and won’t say who will start against Texas Tech. Tannehill said he has “no clue” who will start this week, but he’ll be ready if he gets the nod. “You have to prepare to play,” he said. “If I get that opportunity then I hope I am ready to play, and if not then it wasn’t my day. You have to practice hard and try to clean up things you messed up last week.” Tannehill did well in the 45-10 win over Kansas in the first meaningful work at quarterback in his career. The junior had played mostly receiver at A&M and had thrown just 13 passes for the Aggies before throwing for 155 yards and three touchdowns and running for another score against the Jayhawks. “There’s definitely a couple of things I could improve on,” Tannehill said. “There’s always things you can correct. I’ve got to work this week to fix them. I thought I played decent. It was just good to get in there and get an opportunity.”
Photo by Jeremy Papasso | AP
Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts looks for an open receiver against Colorado on Oct. 23, at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. Sherman downplayed the notion of a quarterback controversy and insists having both Johnson and Tannehill is beneficial to his team. Texas A&M receiver Ryan Swope agreed and said the offense doesn’t really change much with a different quarterback playing. “You get used to how they both throw the ball,” Swope said. “It’s just an adjustment you have to make. I think their throws are similar in a way. Ryan just zips the ball and Jerrod has a great deep ball. It’s hard to say a difference, they are both great quarterbacks.” Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville is prepared to deal with both quarterbacks on Saturday. “(Johnson) throws the ball well, and he can make plays,” Tuberville said. “Last year he rushed for 150 yards out here, and he’s really not a running quarterback but he can make plays running the football. He is very di-
verse. Then they have the other young man who is kind of like bringing in the knuckleball pitcher. You just have to change your mentality because he is a very athletic player that likes to do a lot of things.” Johnson didn’t actually run for 150 yards in the win against Tech last year. But his 71 yards rushing and a touchdown combined with 238 yards passing and another score helped the Aggies to a 5230 victory over the Red Raiders for their first win in Lubbock since 1993. This week the Red Raiders are hoping to get off to a good start after falling behind early in each of their last four games ,including a 21-0 deficit in a loss to Oklahoma State and being behind 24-0 in the second quarter of a defeat at Iowa State. “We’ve spotted teams 10, 20 points and it’s hard to get going once you do that any good team you play,” Tech running back Eric Stephens said.