The Zapata Times 11/12/2011

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Battle over the building Lawsuit possible, citing problems with new courthouse

By MIKE HERRERA IV THE ZAPATA TIMES

Pending legal matters involving Zapata County are among the items on the agenda for the Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting on Monday.

According to a preliminary agenda, one item slated for executive session is an update and discussion of possible action in the lawsuit the county filed against Satterfield and Pontikes, the con-

struction company that built Zapata’s new courthouse.

“This is a breech of contract lawsuit,” said Juan Cruz, of the law firm Escamilla, Poneck and Cruz, LLP. Cruz has been representing Zapata County since the lawsuit was filed on May 20. He said the county will seek monetary compensation for repairs that need to be made to the building.

“The suit is for defective construction,” he added.

In 2003 Satterfield and Pontikes beat out 10 other firms for the $8.7 million courthouse job. However, since the building opened in 2005, several problems have been detected.

“There are defects all over the building,” Cruz said.

In June, Cruz told The Zapata Times that the defects included missing and defective waterproofing, problems with the

FREE CLINIC HELPS LOCALS

By MIKE HERRERA IV THE ZAPATA TIMES

For your health and from the heart, the Medical Missionaries of the Divine Mercy conducted free health clinics this week at Zapata’s Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

Staffed with volunteers with expertise in dentistry, vision care and medical support, the clinics were part of Mission Week, an annual effort by Catholic Social Services.

“This was the first time we held a medical mission in Zapata,” said Rebecca Solloa, executive director of Catholic Social Services of Laredo.

The medical mission began last Sunday in Laredo with a welcome reception for volunteers, many of whom came from the Houston area. In attendance was Father Agustin Escalante, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

“We have a lot of poor people and immigrants who don’t qualify for any medical help,” said Escalante during the reception.

Our Lady of Lourdes

falls under the Diocese of Laredo, and Bishop James A. Tamayo underscored the need for access to medical care during Sunday’s reception.

“This week, we want to focus on both (physical and spiritual well being), especially for those who don’t always have access,” Tamayo said.

Access to healthcare is often challenged by lack of insurance. According to data released this year by the U.S. census, in 2009 Texans were more likely to lack health insurance than the residents of any other state. Zapata is no stranger to the phenomenon, said Solloa.

“The majority (of people treated) were between 20 and 60, and that’s pretty standard for these missions,” she said. “These are the ones without insurance. Even though they may be working, they don’t have insurance coverage. It can get rather expensive getting checkups or getting teeth cleaned. They don’t qualify for Medicaid or Medicare either. They’re kind

See CLINIC PAGE 9A

MEXICO

Tourists still like Mazatlán

By DUDLEY ALTHAUS HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times

Dentist Brad Wilson, a member of the Medical Missionaries of Divine Mercy of Sugarland, works on a patient Tuesday morning as part of a medical clinic at the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Parish Center in Zapata.

MEXICO

Drug-fighting official dies in crash

By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO ASSOCIATED PRESS

MEXICO CITY — The country’s top Cabinet secretary, Francisco Blake Mora, a key figure in Mexico’s battle with drug cartels, died Friday in a helicopter crash that President Felipe Calderón said was probably an accident.

Calderón said the helicopter was flying in fog when it went

See LAWSUIT PAGE 10A

FRANCISCO BLAKE MORA: Died in a helicopter crash Friday with seven others. down in a remote area southeast of Mexico City, but that all possible causes were under investigation.

“Mexico has lost a great patriot ... and I lost a dear friend,” said Calderón, visibly struggling to maintain composure during

address to the country. “He was not only an exemplary minister, he was an exemplary Mexican.”

Authorities said the undersecretary for human rights, Felipe Zamora, was among the seven others also killed, including the pilot.

Calderón appointed Blake Mora as interior secretary in July 2010. That put him in charge of coordinating domestic policies including security, human rights,

migration and the president’s relations with the legislature and opposition parties.

His death, while a blow to the government, is not likely to change policy or day-to-day operations.

Blake Mora was traveling to a prosecutors’ meeting in the neighboring state of Morelos when the helicopter went down

See CRASH PAGE 10A

MAZATLÁN, Mexico — John Moritz eyed an orange sun setting behind the island just offshore of this Pacific beach resort and allowed himself a satisfied sigh.

“This is it,” Moritz, 78, said with a toothy smile. “This is what I want.”

What Moritz wants are his toes dug into the sand, skin caked in salt water, ears filled with the rhythm of breaking waves and hair teased by a breeze nudging another day into night in the land of mañana.

What he and the millions of other foreign tourists still flocking to Mexico desire is to hold tightly to a place they’ve come to love, despite the bloodshed that sometimes seems to be all they hear.

“A lot of people didn’t come this year out of fear,” acknowledged Moritz, who has been vacationing in Mazatlán since 1966 and says the low seasonal crowds this month seem far smaller than in the past. “I’m not concerned.”

Neither are many others, at least not overly so. Aided by a slowly healing U.S. economy, international tourism is rebounding despite five years of criminal warfare that has claimed upward of 50,000 lives, Mexican officials say. More than 22 million foreign tourists jetted into Mexico last year, according to the government, about half of them from the United States and Canada.

Local challenges Nearly 7 million others daytripped into port cities from cruise ships. Those numbers climbed slightly in this year’s first eight months, officials say.

“We have a challenge, but it

See TOURISTS PAGE 9A

PAGE 2A

Zin brief CALENDAR

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

AROUND TEXAS

TODAY IN HISTORY

Saturday, Nov. 12

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Cigarroa Heart and Vascular Institute in Laredo and Championship Hearts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Austin, will offer a free heart screening from 8 a.m. to noon today at The Cigarroa Heart and Vascular Institute, 1710 E. Saunders St., Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, Suite 500.

The heart screenings are open to all athletes, band members, spirit groups and students ages 14 to 18. Sign up online at www.championshipheartsfoundation.org.

The Laredo Paranormal Research Society will give a presentation and workshop on paranormal findings in Laredo at the Laredo Public Library from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. today. For more information, contact Pam Burrell at the library at 795-2400, extension 2268, or pam@laredolibrary.org.

Today is Saturday, Nov. 12, the 316th day of 2011. There are 49 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On Nov. 12, 2001, American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A300 headed to the Dominican Republic, crashed after takeoff from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 260 people on board and five people on the ground.

(Investigators later determined that part of the tail assembly of the jetliner had fallen off, and blamed pilot error, inadequate pilot training and overly sensitive rudder controls.)

On this date: In 1815, American suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born in Johnstown, N.Y. In 1908, Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun was born in Nashville, Ill. In 1927, Josef Stalin became the undisputed ruler of the Soviet Union as Leon Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party.

In 1936, the San FranciscoOakland Bay Bridge opened as President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in Washington, D.C., giving the green light to traffic.

In 1942, the World War II naval Battle of Guadalcanal began. (The Allies ended up winning a major victory over the Japanese.)

In 1948, former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo and several other World War II Japanese leaders were sentenced to death by a war crimes tribunal.

In 1977, the city of New Orleans elected its first black mayor, Ernest “Dutch” Morial, the winner of a runoff.

In 1982, Yuri V. Andropov (ahn-DROH’-pawf) was elected to succeed the late Leonid I. Brezhnev as general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party’s Central Committee.

In 1990, Japanese Emperor Akihito formally assumed the Chrysanthemum Throne. Actress Eve Arden died in Beverly Hills, Calif. at age 82.

In 1996, a Saudi Boeing 747 jetliner collided shortly after takeoff from New Delhi, India, with a Kazak Ilyushin-76 cargo plane, killing 349 people.

Ten years ago: Afghan opposition forces broke through Taliban lines outside Kabul.

Fashion editor Carrie Donovan died in New York at age 73.

Today’s Birthdays: Rhythm-and-blues singer Ruby Nash Curtis (Ruby and the Romantics) is 72. Actor-playwright Wallace Shawn is 68.

Rhythm-and-blues singer Jimmy Hayes (Persuasions) is 68.

Rock musician Booker T. Jones (Booker T. & the MGs) is 67. Sportscaster Al Michaels is 67. Singer-songwriter Neil Young is 66. Sen. Jack Reed, DR.I., is 62. Olympic gold medal gymnast Nadia Comaneci is 50. MLB player Sammy Sosa is 43. Figure skater Tonya Harding is 41. Actress Cote de Pablo is 32. Actor Ryan Gosling is 31. Contemporary Christian musician Chris Huffman is 31.

Actress Anne Hathaway is 29. .

Thought for Today: “Private opinion creates public opinion.... That is why private opinion, and private behaviour, and private conversation are so terrifyingly important.” — Jan Struther (nee Joyce Anstruther), English poet (1901-1953).

Monday, Nov. 14 The Fall 2011 Student Music Recital at Laredo Community College is from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. today.

Sponsored by the LCC performing arts department, the recital is free and open to the public.

Photo by Charlie Neibergall | AP

Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry, right, speaks during the Republican Presidential Forum on Manufacturing as Iowa Gov. Terry Branstan looks on at left, on Nov. 1 in Pella, Iowa.

Gaffe hurts Perry

Tuesday, Nov. 15 To help students and the Laredo community remember and say goodbye to Juan Jose “Jay Jay” Trejo II, the United South High School student who passed away last week in a car accident, the City of Laredo and faculty, staff and students of United South High School will host a candlelight vigil from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. today at Independence Hills Regional Park, 1102 North Merida Drive, in honor of this outstanding and special young man, student, classmate and friend. Everyone is invited. To participate. Call Maribel Estrada at 639-275 or Diana Holstine at 763-2834.

Wednesday, Nov. 16 The Area Health Education Center is hosting the Health Occupations Planning Exposition for middle and high school students at the Laredo Civic Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. The event provides hands-on activities that highlight health careers and motivate students to pursue higher education. For more information, call the AHEC at 712-0037 or email mrgbaheccord.stx.rr.com.

The Laredo Public Library Gateway City Book Lovers’ Club invites the public to its book discussion at 6 p.m. today in the first floor conference room in the library, 1120 East Calton Road. The book discussed will be “Stones into Schools,” by Greg Mortenson, about his efforts to build schools for girls in Afghanistan. It is available for checkout at the library. For more information, contact Pam Burrell at the library at 795-2400, extension 2268, or pam@laredolibrary.org.

Thursday, Nov. 17 The local Social Security Administration office will train anybody interested in learning how to apply for retirement benefits online from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. today at 215 Calle Del Norte.

The Webb County Community Coalition of SCAN invites the public to the 36th Great American Smokeout today. It was inaugurated in 1976 by the American Cancer Society to inspire and encourage smokers to quit using tobacco for one day. The Great American Smokeout is a great opportunity for people to commit to making a long-term plan to quit using tobacco for good. The coalition will be available to give participants information on how to stop smoking for at least one day and maybe how to be tobacco-free. For more information, call Melissa Belmares-Cavazos or Veronica Jimenez at 956-724-3177.

Friday, Nov. 18 Mercy Clinic will honor IBC Bank President Dennis Nixon with the Mercy McAuley Award at a luncheon at the Laredo Country Club, 1415 Country Club Drive, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. Nixon is being recognized for his commitment to community service. For information on tickets, contact Rosanne at 721-7408 or Rosanne.Palacios@mercy.net.

Sunday, Nov. 20 A Mass in memory of those who have lost their battle to cancer and in honor of those fighting cancer will be held at Mother Cabrini Church, 3018 Davis Ave., at 6:30 p.m. Luminarias can be purchased at the American Cancer Society Office beginning Nov. 1 in memory/honor of your loved one.

By THOMAS BEAUMONT ASSOCIATED PRESS

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad on Friday said Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry’s debate gaffe this week was one of those unfortunate moments, just like former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s memorable scream was in 2004.

The veteran Republican governor said Perry’s inability to remember the name of the third Cabinet department he would eliminate was not fatal, but that the episode punctuated doubts about the Texas governor.

“It’s not helpful especially in light of the fact that he had had several previous debates where he had not performed well,” Branstad told The Associated Press. “It is kind of comparable to … Howard Dean’s scream here at caucus night in Iowa.”

During a GOP presidential debate Wednes-

day night in Michigan, Perry couldn’t name the third department.

“Commerce, Education and the — what’s the third one there? Let’s see,” he said, before checking his notes and eventually admitting he couldn’t remember.

Later in the debate, Perry said Energy was the third department.

But the video of Perry’s stumble spread quickly as he made the rounds of network and cable television news programs to put a lighthearted spin on the situation.

Dean, once the poll leader for Iowa’s 2004 Democratic presidential caucuses, rallied supporters on caucus night after finishing third. He shouted the names of state contests ahead, capping it with a red-faced yell.

The circumstances were different but the episodes reinforced doubts about each candidate.

2 Texas women charged with buying, selling baby

Lewisville ISD trades rows of desks for sofas

League City police chief placed on leave

ABILENE — A West Texas woman has been accused of buying a 7-week-old infant from the child’s mother for $2,000 — to be paid in installments.

The 27-year-old woman, Marilu Munoz, and the child’s mother, 29-year-old Joana Delacruz Huerta, were charged late Thursday with the sale or purchase of an infant, a third-degree felony.

DALLAS — There’s something missing from Angela Hamm’s third-grade classroom.

Instead of desks, the space is filled with round tables, a row of computer terminals, even a sofa.

The idea came from students who said they’d like classes to be more relaxed.

“Desks in a row are not conducive to learning,” said Shawna Miller, principal of Highland Village Elementary School.

LEAGUE CITY — A Houstonarea police chief who denies having traffic ticket quotas for officers has been put on leave with pay and will leave.

League City police Chief Michael Jez has a year left on his contract, which pays $125,000.

The Galveston County Daily News reported Friday that city officials are working on a separation agreement with the chief.

Jez has cited a “philosophical gap” with city council members.

Restraining order issued against Texas judge ROCKPORT — A judge has issued a temporary restraining order that will prevent another judge, made infamous by a video of his violent beating of his oldest daughter, from visiting his youngest daughter until a hearing later this month.

State District Judge Kemper Stephen Williams issued the order late Thursday barring Judge William Adams from being alone with his 10-year-old daughter.

2 survive Texas crash when plane ran out of fuel BRYAN — Investigators say two men suffered minor injuries when their twin-engine plane apparently ran out of fuel and crashed in Central Texas.

The Texas Department of Public Safety says the Beechcraft Baron flipped after hitting the ground Thursday along a rural road near Bryan, about 100 miles northwest of Houston.

Pedestrian struck, killed by train in Carrollton CARROLLTON — Authorities say a pedestrian has been struck and killed by a commuter train operating in the Dallas area.

The Denton County Transportation Authority says the accident happened Friday morning in Carrollton as the man walked along the tracks.

— Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE NATION White House circulated plan to replace Chu WASHINGTON — Top officials at the White House circulated a plan calling for the ouster of Energy Secretary Steven Chu as the administration braced for a storm brewing over the failing solar energy company Solyndra.

An email from a former official in President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign said Chu was a brilliant man but “not perfect” for other critical DOE missions, including creating jobs.

The email from Dan Carol was circulated by then-Chief of Staff Peter Rouse and seen by senior White House officials.

The emails were released Friday by the White House in response to a subpoena by House Republicans.

Pipeline plan change could make new problems BILLINGS,

Mont.

—

The

CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Business Manager, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 324-1226 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Retail Adv. Manager, Raul Cruz................... 728-2511 Classified Manager, Jesse Vicharreli ........... 728-2525 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Managing Editor, Julie Silva ...................... 728-2565 City Editor, Mary Nell Sanchez .................. 728-2543 Sports Editor, Dennis Silva II......................728-2579 Entertainment Editor, Emilio Rábago III ....... 728-2564 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavín-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Tim Dominick/The State | AP

Republican presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann and Rep. Joe Wilson wave during a Veterans Day parade in Columbia, S.C., on Friday. Fellow Republican candidate Rick Perry also marched in the parade.

White House plan to seek alternate routes for a Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline presents new problems for the project’s backers, and any of those obstacles could still sink the proposal.

Shifting the path to avoid a major aquifer could increase the

number of perilous stream crossings and put the line closer to populated areas. Major changes also risk alienating pipeline supporters, who tout the economic benefits of creating thousands of jobs.

— Compiled from AP reports

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

Zlocal

PAGE 3A

4.5 tons of pot are seized Duo arrested after fight

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

Mexican federal authorities are investigating two unrelated cases in which they seized more than 4.5 tons of marijuana hidden in underground storerooms in a couple of northern Tamaulipas towns this week.

On Thursday, federal authorities announced they seized approximately 1.7 tons of marijuana in Ciudad Camargo, the northern Tamaulipas town across the border from Rio Grande City.

Troops with Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional or SEDENA, Mexico’s army, assigned to the Eighth Military Zone, made the seizure Wednesday while pa-

trolling the municipality of Guardados de Abajo.

Military personnel uncovered an underground storeroom used to stash the narcotics. Inside, soldiers counted 448 bundles of marijuana with an approximate weight of 3,695 pounds.

A second seizure occurred Nov. 6 in Ciudad Miguel Alemán, across the border from Roma. At 11:40 a.m., soldiers patrolling Colonia Los Presidentes spotted a building containing drug paraphernalia and remanants of a green leafy substance which emitted an odor similar to marijuana.

According to a SEDENA report, soldiers inspected the facility and discovered

an underground warehouse where they found 285 bundles of a green, leafy substance with an approximate weight of 6,422 pounds.

In both cases, army personnel confiscated the contraband while working Operation Northeast, an operation to combat narco operations in the northeastern areas of Mexico.

On Friday, SEDENA and the Procuraduría General de la República, Mexico’s attorney general, announced the incineration of approximately 36.5 tons of marijuana and 6.7 pounds of cocaine in Reynosa, which borders McAllen.

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

Authorities say two men tried to harm each other while one pulled out a machete and the other grabbed rocks during a scuffle Thursday morning in San Ygnacio.

Zapata County sheriff ’s deputies arrested Israel Arizmendi Dominguez, 34, and Francisco Gonzalez, 23, and charged them each with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony punishable with up to 20 years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.

Deputies went out to a domestic disturbance call at 10:12 a.m. in the 100 block of DOMINGUEZ Santa Maria Avenue. An incident report states Dominguez displayed a machete and threatened GONZALEZ Gonzalez.

However, Dominguez told deputies Gonzalez assaulted him with rocks.

Sgt. Mario Elizondo said deputies determined there

2 arrested in DPS sweep

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ

STARS OF THE WEEK

was enough probable cause to arrest both men.

Elizondo added no one was harmed in the incident. Deputies took both men to the Zapata Regional Jail. Gonzalez had a $10,000 bond set for him.

Once at the correctional facility, deputies found a small amount of a green leafy substance on Dominguez. Dominguez was additionally charged with possession of marijuana. He was held at the county jail on an $11,000 combined bond.

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

THE ZAPATA TIMES

Two men wanted by the Texas Department of Public Safety were arrested last week as part of collaboration among law enforcement agencies targeting sex offenders during a mission dubbed Operation Scarecrow.

Arturo Cisneros, 32, of Zapata, was arrested Nov. 3. Authorities also arrested 39-year-old Juan Antonio Paredes, of San Ygnacio, on Nov. 4. Both men are being charged with failure to comply with sex offender registration, a

CISNEROS

PAREDES

third-degree felony punishable with up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The men were transported to the Zapata Regional Jail.

Justice of the Peace Anna Guerra set a $125,000 bond for

each man.

“These two subjects were arrested as part of

Operation Scarecrow, a joint effort by the GCVO (Gulf Coast Violent Offenders), DPS, Webb County Adult Probation and the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office to target known sex offenders that have violated their sex offender registry requirements,” states an email from Kevin Labrador, U.S. Marshals spokesman.

Labrador added that the men’s warrants were obtained after multiple violations discovered during Operation Scarecrow.

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

Courtesy photo

Fidel and Andrea R. Villarreal Elementary School Stars of the Week include, left to right: front row, Oziel Martinez, Lauro Martinez, Darlenne Torres, Cristian Garcia, Daniel Ramos, Pablo Pitero and Katelyn Montoya; second row, Sashely Alaniz, Jeannie Palacios, Karen Sierra, Mariana Nino, Claudia Garza, Rose Sanchez, Juan Gonzalez and Soraida Zuñiga; third row, Elizabeth Angeles, Jennifer Tovar, Corina Garza, Mindy Garcia, David Sanchez, Nayeli Lopez, Aurelio Melio and Arianna Cuellar; and back row, Kayla Minor, Kaitlyn Garcia, Cassandra Martinez, Jose Maria Rocha, Alinna Garcia, Rene Garcia and Angie Briseño.

10 face new charges

By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA ASSOCIATED PRESS

EL PASO — A group of 10 people accused of being part of a ring that forced women into prostitution in El Paso are facing more serious charges.

PROMOTING BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Courtesy photo

IBC Bank Zapata main branch employees wore pink shirts in October in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. IBC employees wore the shirts to promote the importance of routine examinations for early detection among Zapata residents.

HELP FOR THE RIVER

Courtesy photo

The second annual Renato Ramirez Invitational Golf Tournament raised nearly $13,000 for the Río Grande International Study Center, which will aid in river preservation and education. The Oct. 29 fundraiser for the environmental non-profit took place at Los Ebanos Golf Course in Zapata. The golf tournament topped off RGISC’s annual, bi-national and month-long Día del Río activities that included river water testing from the Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico by 80 teams of students, student art exhibits, the clean-up of the El Paso del Indio nature trail on the Laredo Community College Fort Macintosh campus and numerous educational efforts that celebrate the Río Grande as the only North American river on the World Wildlife Fund’s list of the 10 most endangered rivers on the planet. Volunteers, staff and members of the board of directors of the Río Grande International Study Center joined Ramirez at the tournament. Pictured left to right are Victor Oliveros, Rodolfo Rincón, Angeline Townsend, Alfonso Martinez, Fabiola Flores, Santos Jimenez, Ramirez and Executive Director Tricia Cortez.

Federal prosecutors announced Thursday a grand jury has returned a superseding indictment that has charged the accused ringleader, 43-yearold Alarcon Wiggins, and nine others with more counts, including charges

of sex trafficking induced by force, fraud or coercion and conspiracy to transport for prostitution.

The indictment alleges the defendants took the women’s earnings, documents and cellphones so they couldn’t seek help.

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Zopinion

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

The ties that bind people of religion

By BILL KING HOUSTON CHRONICLE

HOUSTON — When the Sept. 11 attacks occurred, I knew exactly two Muslims.

Both worked for me, and both were two of the most dedicated, kind and considerate people I knew. One was highly observant and the other not so much.

What I knew of them stood in stark contrast to the images I saw of the Arab Street rejoicing at the deaths of nearly 3,000 innocent people.

That contradiction convinced me that there was something going on in Islam that I did not understand. My puzzlement over the issue ultimately led me to become active in the interfaith movement. There are many organizations involved in interfaith initiatives, but their principal goal is to promote dialogue between the various faith traditions in the hope that this contact will engender mutual respect, understanding and tolerance.

In the process, I have come to know thousands of Muslims. While I certainly do not claim to be an expert or even a serious student of Islam, I have learned that many of the impressions Americans have about Islam are wrong.

First, while many Americans see Islam as a monolithic global force, it is actually highly fragmented, with countless sects. It is also ripped with schisms, some ferociously bitter, that date to its origins. For example, the first priority of al-Qaida, which claims adherence to the Sunni tradition, is to kill all of the Shia Muslims, then get around to the Christians and Jews.

Also, Islam has been interpreted through the lenses of the various nationalities and cultures into which it has spread.

In some cases, it is almost impossible to tell that the various traditions within Islam are even the same religion. For example, the comparison of the radical Wahhabi sect that grew out of the Saudi peninsula to the mystical, pacifist Sufi tradition predominantly founded in Turkey could not be starker.

The second aspect of Islam missed by most Americans is the remarkable number of beliefs that Muslims hold in common with Christians and Jews. Of course, all three religions claim Abraham as the father of their faiths. But I suspect that most Americans would be surprised to learn that much of the story of Jesus’ life is told in the Quran and that he is held in a very special place of respect and esteem by most Muslims.

Observant Muslims afford Jesus the same respect shown to Mohammed by reciting the phrase ”may peace be upon him” any time his name is mentioned. Most Muslims believe in the virgin birth of Jesus and that his second coming will mark the end of the Earth as we know it.

A couple of years ago, I visited a shrine in Turkey that is reputed to be where Jesus’ mother, Mary, is buried. There is a wall where people place prayers written on small scraps of paper, asking for Mary’s intercession.

There were long lines of both Christians and Mus-

Polling consistently shows that Muslims, and especially MuslimAmericans, reject the more extreme expressions of Islam.

COLUMN lims waiting to pay their respects and place their prayers on Mary’s wall.

Americans also tend to vastly overestimate the number of Muslims who are sympathetic to extremists claiming the mantle of Islam. Polling consistently shows that Muslims, and especially Muslim-Americans, reject the more extreme expressions of Islam. The truth is that the terrorists who claim adherence to Islam are no more representative of Islam than Irish Catholic and Protestant terrorists were representative of Christianity.

The truth of this was most poignantly made by the life of Cpl. Kareem Khan. Khan grew up in New Jersey and was in high school when the World Trade Center was attacked. As soon as he was old enough, he volunteered for the Army to prove that not all Muslims were terrorists and that there were MuslimAmericans willing to sacrifice their lives for America.

He made that ultimate sacrifice on Aug. 27, 2007, when he was killed in a roadside blast in Iraq. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

When I make this point to friends not acquainted with many Muslims, I am frequently asked why more moderate Muslims do not speak out against the terrorists and violence. The answer is that they have and they do.

Muslim groups have taken out full-page ads in newspapers condemning extremism. They have started websites, such as www.acommonword.com, devoted to promoting relations between Muslims and other faiths.

Unfortunately, however, people speaking out for moderation and tolerance are not fodder for the 24hour cable news cycle.

But put 20 kooks in Central Park with a sign that says all Christians should be beheaded and every cable news network in the country will carry it as breaking news. Fox will have a two-hour special.

Like so many other areas of our civic discourse, we want easy answers to the riddle that is Islam.

Unfortunately, the answers are not easy. There is no question that Muslims, and even MuslimAmericans, see the world and this country differently than those of us who have not shared that tradition. But to lump all Muslims into a one-sizefits-all caricature is fallacious and in the end serves the interests of the extremists.

(Email Bill King at bking@weking.net.)

There’s humor in SNL, Perry

By KEN HERMAN COX NEWSPAPERS

AUSTIN — Next up for Rick Perry, now officially laughing with the folks laughing at him, will be Saturday night live and, very possibly, ”Saturday Night Live.”

The former is set for Saturday at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., site of the next in the series of debates serving as something of a death march for Perry’s candidacy.

And later Saturday, who among us doesn’t expect the folks at NBC’s ”Saturday Night Live” to have semigood-natured fun with Perry’s instant classic ”oops” moment at the Wednesday night debate in Michigan?

Hard to imagine how a parody could top the original, but those SNL folks are professionals.

Like any of you with any shred of humanity, and because we’ve all been there — albeit not during a nationally televised presidential debate — I felt bad for Perry during his tough-towatch side trip to Forgetfultown at the Michigan de-

bate when he could name only two of the three federal agencies he wants to abolish.

Perry reacted quickly, realizing there was no choice but to join in the laughter, beginning Thursday with the morning TV shows and ending with an appearance on ”Late Show with David Letterman.”

Dave’s show also had an installment of Stupid Human Tricks, a scheduling coincidence not intended, I think, to imply that any governor who happened to be on the show was a stupid human.

Perry’s decision to join the laughter has been developing for weeks as he’s gradually been forced to acknowledge conventional wisdom, backed by his sinking poll numbers, that the debates have been disastrous for his candidacy.

In an early Thursday morning email to supporters, Team Perry tried to turn the gaffe into cash by noting ”we’ve all had human moments” and asking for suggestions for which federal agencies should be shuttered. ”And, if you could, throw

in a $5 contribution for every agency you would like to forget. We hope you have a long list. And we promise we will write down every last idea. So we don’t forget,” supporters were told.

Clever? Perhaps. As was Perry’s post-debate comment: ”I’m glad I had my boots on, because I sure stepped in it tonight.”

At this point in the Perry campaign, hip waders might be more in order.

Look out, South Carolina, our governor is headed your way, and he is going to be saying words.

Somewhere, perhaps many somewheres, in this very political town of ours, there were folks laughing at Perry when he couldn’t come up with the third federal agency he wants to shut down. Perhaps you’ve noticed that I myself have an annoying proclivity for laughing at politicians.

As Perry struggled (and perhaps saw his campaign passing before his eyes), I could not. Just too painful to watch, though I have to admit I enjoyed some of the crueler tweets about it: ”Rick Perry equals Texas

Toast.” ”Who would win a memory contest between Rick Perry and Herman Cain right now?”

And who could have enjoyed the ”oops” moment more than Cain, who’s been having women problems in the past week or so? As my small contribution to help Perry by putting Cain back in the spotlight, allow me to add this: I now believe Cain has the skill set to lead a major nation. I believe that nation is Italy, a land with a history of appreciation for pizza and groping women.

Are ”Perry for President” stickers about to become mementos of a bygone campaign? Could be.

The fact remains that the GOP battle is headed inevitably to a two-person race between Mitt Romney and somebody who is not Mitt Romney. Perry still has the money to survive as the anti-Romney.

And he might be best served by putting his money where his mouth is. Maybe that could muzzle the gaffes.

(Email Ken Herman kherman@statesman.com.)

Debate gaffe simply lacks laughs

By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST

WASHINGTON — Oops, he did it again.

Gov. Rick Perry — he of the shaky Republican presidential debate performances — tried and failed Wednesday night, for the better part of a minute, to

name the three federal agencies he would eliminate as president. Even by his own standard of gaffery, this was bad.

“The third agency of government I would — I would do away with, Education, the ... Commerce and, let’s see. I can’t. The third one, I can’t. Sorry.

Oops.” Never a good sign when even the debate moderators are laughing at you, along with the audience.

What makes this episode so damaging for Perry is that it plays into pre-existing doubts about whether he is ready for prime time.

To his credit, Perry owned up to his gaffe — “Yeah,

I stepped in it, man,” he told reporters later.

Laughter may be the best medicine, but even it can’t save a candidate already on political life support. And Perry and his people — deep down in places they don’t like to talk about at parties — seem to know it.

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A

THE BLOTTER BURGLARY A man reported at 2:07 p.m. Nov. 3 in the 1000 block of North U.S. 83 that an individual he knows stole $100 worth of assorted tools and tried to sell them back to him. The victim did not want to file charges. However, deputies told the alleged offender to stay away from the property.

A burglary of a habitation was reported at 8:17 p.m.

Nov. 6 in the 1200 block of Evergreen Street.

Deputies responded to burglary call at 9:19 p.m. Nov. 6 in the 300 block of Gonzalez Street. An incident report states the alleged offender took a microwave, a gold bracelet and a gold chain.

A woman called deputies at 2:29 a.m. Wednesday from the 300 block of Gonzalez Street to report that someone took a 55-inch LCD television from her residence.

CRIMINAL TRESPASS Fernando Villarreal III, 27, was arrested and charged with criminal trespass at approximately 10:15 p.m. Nov. 3 in the 2400 block of Carla Street. The man was taken to the Zapata Regional Jail, where he was held on a $15,000 bond.

DOG BITE A woman called deputies at 7:02 p.m. Nov. 4 from the 200 block of Nora Drive to report that a Chihuahua bit her while she was walking.

DUI After a motor vehicle stop, deputies arrested Barbara Doramarie Buruato, 18, and charged her with driving under the influence at about 1 a.m. Nov. 6 at Seventh Street and Miraflores Avenue in the Medina Addition. Also arrested were Carina Adriana Quintanilla, 17, and Karen Ubalde, 17. They were charged with minor in possession of alcohol. All teens were given $250 fines.

Roberto Saldivar Jr., 17,

ZAPATA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

was arrested and charged with driving under the influence at about 2:45 a.m. Nov. 6 at Seventh Street and Miraflores Avenue. The man was taken to the Zapata Regional Jail. He was released, pending court appearance.

POSSESSION A 16-year-old juvenile was detained just after midnight Monday in the 2000 block of Kennedy Street. Deputies turned the teen over to juvenile probation.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION Agustin Rolando Garcia, 17, and Julio Cesar Valadez, 17, were arrested and charged with public intoxication at about 3 a.m. Nov. 5 at Fourth Street and Ramireño Avenue.

Both teens were taken to the Zapata Regional Jail.

Rene Roberto Zepeda, 20, was arrested and charged with public intoxication at about 3:30 a.m. Nov. 5 on U.S. 83 across the street from the Aqua Bar. Deputies took the man to the Zapata Regional Jail.

TERRORISTIC THREATS Two female juveniles reported at 2:33 p.m. Tuesday that a man made terroristic threats at Zapata High School.

THEFT A woman reported at 1:59 p.m. Nov. 4 in the 5400 block of South Laredo Lane that someone stole her bicycle and an all-terrain vehicle from her grandmother’s house.

A man reported at 10:43 a.m. Nov. 4 in the Beacon Lodge, off FM 3174, that someone walked up to his carport and stole four fishing rods with reels out of his boat. The items have an estimated value of $2,000.

A man reported Tuesday morning in the 700 block of Ramireño Avenue that a person he knows stole his cell phone.

Courtesy photo

Zapata High School Students of the Month for November, in no particular order, are, left to right: Rick Castillo, Lydia Garza, Sabas Hernandez, Skyler Villarreal, Horacio Diego, Sara Pena, Virginia Solis, Karla Alvarado, Jesus Lopez, Shelby Bigler, Oscar Flores, Michael Thatcher and Alice Poblano.

Problems shock whistle-blowers

By RANDALL CHASE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WYOMING, Del. — The body of the Marine lay on a gurney at the Dover Air Force Base mortuary, an arm bone jutting out from the torso.

Embalming technician James Parsons wondered how he would be able to get the stiffened arm back into position so that a uniform could be put on the corpse for a viewing. Parsons and a coworker asked their supervisor, Quinton “Randy” Keel, what to do, and he told them to take the arm off, then left, according to Parsons.

“I’m thinking, ‘This is just wrong. We shouldn’t be doing this,”’ Parsons recalled, contending that consent should have been obtained from the Marine’s family first.

Parsons refused to cut off the arm and instead stood and watched as his co-worker — a new employee still on probation — grabbed the saw and removed the limb, which was then placed alongside the Marine’s leg inside an undergarment that would be covered by his uniform.

A phone message left at a listing for Keel in Felton, Del., was

not immediately returned Friday night.

After stewing for months about what happened, Parsons bypassed the military chain of command and reported the episode. He was one of three co-workers to complain about what they saw as callous or sloppy handling of remains at the main military mortuary for America’s war dead.

This week, the Air Force said it had punished three top officials at the Dover mortuary for “gross mismanagement,” including two instances in which body fragments from remains shipped home from Afghanistan were lost.

One of the cases involved fragments of ankle bone embedded in human tissue associated with two crew members recovered from an F-15 fighter that crashed in Afghanistan. The other involved a piece of human tissue an inch or two long.

The investigators concluded that the removal of the Marine’s arm had not violated any rule or regulation. But the Air Force has changed procedures to ensure that a representative of the deceased’s service, in this case the Marine Corps, has a say in whether the family should be contacted before

a body is altered so significantly.

All three whistle-blowers — Parsons, Mary Ellen Spera and William Zwicharowski — said in an interview Friday that the problems at the mortuary have since been fixed and that the families of fallen troops can be assured that the remains of their loved ones are being treated with respect.

“Please trust us when we tell you that your loved ones are taken care of at Dover,” Zwicharowski said. “Your loved ones can’t speak for themselves when they come through here, but we are going to speak for them, and we’re going to represent them.”

Col. Robert H. Edmondson, commander of Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover at the time, received a letter of reprimand. Trevor Dean, Edmondson’s top civilian deputy, and Keel, director of the mortuary, were reassigned and are no longer involved in mortuary operations.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has since ordered the Air Force to consider imposing even stronger punishments.

The three whistle-blowers said they went outside the chain of command after their supervisors failed to address problems there.

6A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

Veterans get salute from Laredo theatre group

By MIKE HERRERA IV THE ZAPATA TIMES

“I didn’t come to take anybody away,” La Muerte reassures the audience in the opening of “Soldado Razo,” one of two plays performed this weekend as the Laredo Little Theatre presents “A Theatrical Salute to Veterans.”

Written by Luis Valdez, “Soldado Razo” shines a critical light on MexicanAmerican participation in the Vietnam War. Lead character Johnny (Max Castilleja) gets drafted by Uncle Sam, and his family’s pain is like candy for the play’s narrator: La Muerte, played by Mara Lorena Lopez. Though La Muerte, a thoroughly imbedded icon in Mexican art and culture, is often depicted as a skeleton, sometimes resembling the American Grim Reaper, Lopez sees the character differently.

“To me, it doesn’t represent death. It represents mortality,” she said. A familiar face around the local theater scene, Lopez, as La Muerte, narrates and comments on the action of the play, often smiling and laughing at the subtle ways in which American culture and Hispanic masculinity valorize war.

“The role has often been portrayed by a man, often a man in a zoot suit,” added Lopez about her ubiquitous character. As Johnny’s upcoming tour elicits differing reactions from his loved ones, his mother (Edna A. Garcia) nearly always in tears and his father (Arturo Peñaloza) with a bellicose sort of pride, La Muerte does more than talk through it.

She affects the action in ways audience members might not expect from a narrator. It’s the kind of broken verisimilitude characteristic of Chicano theatre, said director Alberto Guajardo.

“Chicano theater is known for those expressionistic touches,” Guajardo said. Indeed Luis Valdez is widely regarded as the father of Chicano theatre, so audiences can expect a touch of the magical.

Whereas experimental theater like “Soldado Razo” sometimes breaks the proverbial fourth wall, the evening’s second play is all about it. In Jan Stuckey’s “The Wall: A Pilgrimage,” a Texas family visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The wall is imagined to be at the foot the stage, so the family looks in the direction of the audience as the family members find the name of their departed.

Reminiscent of Horton Foote’s “The Carpetbagger’s Children,” this play sees one family member after another deliver a monologue about Billy, the fallen soldier. Each one is a history in itself, packed with powerful memories, intimate detail and grieving long overdue. Billy’s mother Lisa King still bakes him a birthday cake every year.

His wife Janie, played by Doreen Puig Peña, moves from coquettishly remembering how Billy called her “Dimples” to scolding him for leaving her “a 19-yearold mother with a dead husband and parents who tell you, ‘You’ve made your bed, now, lie in it!’”

With emotional variance and a surprising last

monologue, “The Wall: A Pilgrimage” concludes a program that Oscar Peña says he’s proud to see the theater present.

“We had always wanted to do something for the veterans this week,” said Peña, who serves as the Laredo Little Theatre’s board president. “We originally wanted to do something at the Marine ball.”

Then, Peña attended a veterans’ coalition meeting and became convinced that a full program was the way to go.

“I realized there’s a lot of unity, a lot of solidarity among the veterans here in town. They have strong values. They appreciate it when organizations reach out to them, so that’s what we’re doing. It made me very proud to tell them we’re doing this,” he said.

Both works are complex and neither one shies away from pointing out the darker sides of war. Yet above all, the goal of the show is to pay respect, said Artistic Director Laurence Wensel.

“It’s our way of honoring veterans. Servicemen and women are found in every family, and we just wanted to take a moment to thank them for their service to their country,” he said.

“A Theatrical Salute to Veterans” gets underway at the Laredo Little Theatre, 4802 Thomas St., at 8 p.m. tonight. Sunday, there will be matinee at 3 p.m. Admission is $5 for the general public and free to veterans and servicemen and women with proper military identification.

(Mike Herrera IV can be reached at 728-2567 or mherrera@lmtonline.com)

Famed music firm is sold

By RYAN NAKASHIMA ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES — EMI Group Ltd., the iconic British music company that is home to The Beatles, Coldplay and Katy Perry, is being split and sold for $4.1 billion.

The deals will open EMI’s buyers, Universal Music and Sony/ATV, to regulatory scrutiny as they increase their dominance of the music industry.

Universal Music Group said Friday that it will pay $1.9 billion for the recording division, joining Universal artists including Lady Gaga and Eminem with EMI superstars such as David Guetta and Lady Antebellum.

A consortium led by Sony/ATV announced a separate deal Friday to pay $2.2 billion for EMI’s publishing division. That business is in charge of songwriting copyrights for such artists as Rihanna and Norah Jones.

Sony/ATV, a joint venture between Sony Corp. and the Michael Jackson estate, is a 38 percent partner in the consortium, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity. Other parties include Mubadala Development Co., Jynwel Capital Ltd., the Blackstone Group and David Geffen.

The two-part sale, if approved by regulators, would further increase Universal Music’s dominance in recorded music and springboard Sony/ATV into the top spot as a music publisher, according to Impala, an association of European independent music companies that is against the deal.

The purchases would give Universal Music and Sony/ATV undue negotiating power over artists and distributors of music, even over the world’s biggest music store, Apple Inc.’s iTunes, Impala said.

Both deals are expected to be carefully reviewed in Europe, the U.S., Japan and Australia.

Helen Smith, Impala’s executive chairwoman, noted that when Universal Music bought music publisher BMG in 2007, it had to sell some assets to get smaller.

“When you have players which are dominant, even if they take over small players in market share, that can have a serious impact on competition,” she said.

Jean-Bernard Levy, CEO of Universal Music parent company Vivendi SA, told analysts on a conference call that he was “very confident” the deal would be approved in as little as 10 months.

In the United States, Universal is the top music producer with a 30 percent market share compared with EMI’s 9 percent, according to Nielsen SoundScan. With a combined share of 39 percent, they would tower over Sony at 29 percent and Warner Music at 19 percent.

On the publishing side, Sony/ATV will add EMI’s

1.3 million song copyrights to its roster of 750,000 songs that include hits from The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Taylor Swift.

The deal leaves Citigroup, EMI’s current owner, with liability for its underfunded pension plan, according to two other people familiar with the talks.

One put the liability at $600 million, the other said it was about $260 million.

Citigroup had put EMI up for sale in June, four months after it foreclosed on private equity firm Terra Firma. Terra Firma bought EMI in 2007 in a $6.8 billion acquisition financed with debt from Citigroup, but it couldn’t make enough money to keep up with the terms.

Vivendi believes it is swooping in to buy a troubled asset at an “inflection point” in the music industry, Levy said. Thanks to gains in digital track and album sales, overall U.S. album sales are up 5.2 percent at 360 million units so far this year, according to SoundScan. At this point last year, album sales had plunged 10 percent.

SÁBADO 12 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2011

Agenda en Breve SÁBADO 12 DE NOVIEMBRE Sexta Feria Anual “Dulce Vida”, de 7 a.m. a 11 a.m. en el Estacionamiento de Doctors Hospital.

La Championship Hearts Foundation (CHF), se asociará con el Cigarroa Heart and Vascular Institute para ofrecer examenes de Cardiomiopatía Hipertrófica (HCM) de 8 a.m. al mediodía en Laredo Medical Center, 1710 calle East Saunders, Torre B, Suite 500.

Secundo Torneo de Golf Annual “Casa Blanca LULAC Concilio # 7”. Registro inicia a las 7:30 a.m. y salen a las 8 a.m. Costo: 85 dólares por jugador. Habrá premios en efectivo y para el Hoyo-en-Uno en el 5to hoyo una motocicleta Harley Davidson Dyna Super Glide. Más información con Jose Gonzalez al (956) 949-7685.

Día de Agradecimiento a Militares, de 8 a.m. a 7:30 p.m. en El Metro Park and Ride. Costo: 5 dóales. Niños de 12 años y menores entran gratis. Todos los veteranos y militares entran gratis. Habrá un concurso de fajita de 1 p.m. a 3:30 p.m. y la presentación de Laredo Wrestling Alliance de 4:30 p.m. a 7:30 p.m.

Pase la tarde en el Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara y disfrute el Día Familiar de Películas, presentando “Earth”, en funciones a las 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. y 6 p.m.

Costo general: 5 dólares.

El Club de Maestros de TAMIU presenta “Money” durante la Hora del Cuento de Sábado en la Biblioteca Pública de Laredo, 1120 East Calton Road, de 2 p.m. a 3 p.m.

La Sociedad de Investigación Paranormald e Laredo presentará un taller sobre encuentros paranormales en Laredo, de 2 p.m. a 4 p.m. en la Sala de Usos Múltiples de la Biblioteca Pública de Laredo, 1120 E. Calton Road.

Laredo Bucks recibe a Allen Americans a las 4 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena.

Hoy a las 4 p.m. el equipo de Baloncesto Varonil de TAMIU se enfrentará a Texas A&M University – Kingsville durante la Lone Star Conference Crossover Challenge aquí a nivel local. Costo: 5 dólares.

Educadores de Música de Texas presenta hoy la Clínica/Concierto de la Orquesta Region XIV de TMEA a las 6:30 p.m. en el Auditorio del SAC, 5208 Sta. Claudia Lane . Participarán estudiantes de secundaria y preparatoria seleccionados previamente, tras selección de jurado.

NUEVO LAREDO, México — Estación Palabra invita al “Bazar de Arte” a las 12 p.m.; cuentos y actividades por el natalicio de Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz a las 2 p.m.; Taller de Creación Literaria con Jacobo Mina, a las 3 p.m.; NUEVO LAREDO, México — Museo para niños presenta “Artista Amigo del Museo: Martín Espinoza” en la Sala de Servicios Educativos del Centro Cultural Nuevo Laredo a las 4 p.m.

NUEVO LAREDO, México — A las 6 p.m. Cafebrería rendirá un homenaje póstumo a la poetagia Ifis. Su intención de hacer notar en el océano literario las gotas de su vida será recordada a través de la lectura de su obra.

Además, la música de Alberto y Anahís, trovadores locales.

DOMINGO 13 DE NOVIEMBRE NUEVO LAREDO, México — Grupo de Teatro Expresión invita a “Para Morir Nacimos” a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro Lucio Blanco de la Casa de la Cultura. Guión de Luis Martín con textos de Sabines, Villaurrutia y Corostiza. Invitado especial “Grupo de Danza Cuicoyán”. Entrada libre.

Zfrontera

PÁGINA 7A

SE DISPARAN ENFERMEDADES RESPIRATORIAS EN TAMAULIPAS

ECONOMÍA

Exhortan vacunarse

Abren opciones de empleo

Aumentaron con presencia de frentes fríos TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

CD. VICTORIA, Tamaulipas — Las enfermedades respiratorias agudas se han disparado en algunos municipios del estado y se recomienda vacunarse contra la gripe e influenza.

Norberto Treviño García-Manzo, Director de Salud en el estado, dijo que Tampico es la ciudad mas afectada por los cambios de temperatura, debido a que tiene un registro de más de 160 mil casos, seguida de Victoria con más de 90 mil y Matamoros registra unos 86 mil casos.

NORBERTO TREVIÑO: Secretario de Salud de Tamaulipas.

Con el paso de los frentes fríos, las enfermedades respiratorias agudas se han incrementado en casi un 6 % sobre el promedio semana.

“Deseamos recomendar a la población extremar las medidas preventivas”, dijo Treviño, “Debemos evitar padecimientos propios de la temporada otoño-invierno”..

“El Tamaulipas humano

contempla a la salud como uno de los ejes rectores para lograr el Estado fuerte que todos queremos, por ello el Gobernador, Egidio Torre Cantú, ha dispuesto de los recursos y personal necesarios para cubrir la demanda que requiere el programa de temporada invernal” destacó.

Las recomendaciones, reiteró el funcionario de salud, son consumir frutas y verduras, utilizar ropa adecuada a la temporada, evitar exponerse a los cambios bruscos de temperatura, proteger a los niños y adultos mayores, evitar

tener contacto con personas enfermas, no encender carbón o leña dentro de las viviendas, entre otras.

Treviño García-Manzo, explicó que el objetivo es prevenir las Infecciones Respiratorias Agudas Severas (IRAS) a causa del descenso de la temperatura, por ello también se cuenta con las dosis necesarias para la aplicación de la vacuna contra influenza para niños de seis meses a cinco años de edad, mujeres embarazadas y población de más de 60 años, así como la del neumococo para los adultos mayores.

SALUD

CUIDADO MATERNAL Esperan evitar más muertes por partos TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

En Tamaulipas no deberán morir más mujeres de parto, porque todas las emergencias resolutivas en obstétricas se atenderán.

El gobierno de Tamaulipas, el gobernador Egidio Torre, dijo que la salud materna es una prioridad.

“Se busca homologar los criterios del sector salud, IMSS, ISSSTE con el Departamento de Salud del estado”, dijo Torre Cantú. “Todas las pacientes con una emergencia obstétrica, sea o no derechohabiente, pueda ser atendida”.

Se ha instruido al Secretario de Salud de Tamaulipas Norberto Treviño, para que el personal se involucre para dar respuesta inmediata.

Treviño García-Manzo dijo que el personal de la Secretaría de Salud (SS) participó en la Ciudad de México en la Reunión de Hospitales Resolutivos para el Convenio de Colaboración Interinstitucional para la Atención de Emergencias Obstétricas, orientado a fortalecer las políticas del sector salud para acelerar la reducción de la mortalidad materna en el estado y el país.

“El objetivo principal de este tipo de actividades y de la administración del Gobernador Torre Cantú es sensibilizar a todo el personal médico”, dijo. “Ellos estarían apoyando en todos los esquemas de salud de la madre y los recién nacidos”.

El gobierno estatal dijo que estaban asumiendo acciones prioritarias y no deberán reportarse muertes.

Durante la reunión, en la que

Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas

Una mujer parturienta es sometida a pesaje para determinar su cuidado posparto. En los hospitales estatales deberán otorgarles atenciones. participaron autoridades federales y representantes de los 32 estados de la república, se informó que cada minuto muere no menos de una mujer como consecuencia de complicaciones relacionadas con el embarazo y el parto, en tanto que otras sufren lesiones, infecciones o enfermedades; las complicaciones más frecuentes que llegan a presentar están relacionadas con: hemorragias, infecciones y eclampsia (hipertensión arterial pronunciada que provoca convulsiones), entre otras.

“La falta de cuidados o de acceso a los servicios de salud, el elevado costo o su escasa calidad son elementos determinantes para que un parto se complique; para combatir esto, en el estado se cuenta con más de 300 centros de salud y 16 unidades médicas resolutivas para atender las emergencias obstétricas, en los cuales se tiene acceso a servicios de planificación familiar, atención durante el embarazo, el parto y después del alumbramiento”, remarcó el titular de la SS.

Foto de cortesía

En la convocatoria se reclutaron aspirantes con perfiles para las 3 unidades del Nuevo Modelo Policial: Unidad de Análisis Táctico, Unidad de Investigación y Unidad de Operaciones.

CONTRATAN A ASPIRANTES A POLICÍAS EN FERIAS DEL EMPLEO TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

En las ferias del empleo en los municipios de Tamaulipas, se ha abierto la convocatoria para el ingreso al Nuevo Modelo de Policía Estatal.

El Instituto de Reclutamiento y Formación Policial participó en las pasadas ferias regionales de Empleo

realizadas en los diferentes municipios.

Fueron más de 200 aspirantes que entregaron solicitud y más de 900 personas a las cuales se les entregaron los requisitos para incorporarse al curso de formación.

Con estas acciones se da cumplimiento a uno de los compromisos del Gobernador, Egidio Torre Cantú, de

generar empleo, así como de la modernización de los sistemas de reclutamiento de servidores públicos de seguridad.

El Secretario de Seguridad Pública Estatal, Rafael Lomelí Martínez, cumple de manera cabal los compromisos adquiridos, trabajando para lograr mediante la capacitación, profesionalizar a

los integrantes de las instituciones de seguridad pública del Estado y a quienes desean integrarse al Nuevo Modelo Policial.

En la convocatoria se reclutaron aspirantes con perfiles para las 3 unidades del Nuevo Modelo Policial: Unidad de Análisis Táctico, Unidad de Investigación y Unidad de Operaciones.

TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Las nuevas opciones de trabajo digno y remunerado, así como nuevas inversiones nacionales y extranjeras se están aterrizando en Tamaulipas.

Se estan generando opciones de trabajo remunerado, así como inversiones nacionales y extranjeras.

El Gobernador Egidio Torre Cantú reconoció a emprendedores tamaulipecos, inauguró la expansión de la planta uno de la firma Delphi Packard y ofreció su apoyo a COPPEL para un proyecto de nuevas tiendas en Tamaulipas.

Estas nuevas inversiones representarán a corto plazo una derrama económica superior a los 935 millones de pesos y la generación de casi 6 mil nuevos empleos, para beneficio de los tamaulipecos.

Por la mañana Torre Cantú inauguró la expansión de la maquiladora, Delphi Planta 1, que opera en esta capital; acompañado por Héctor Gutiérrez, director de operaciones en Norteamérica, cortó el listón inaugural y recorrió las nuevas instalaciones y tuvo un diálogo directo con los trabajadores.

Tan sólo en esta expansión, Delphi invirtió 3 millones de dólares que generarán mil 500 nuevos empleos. Además, construye una nueva planta en esta capital, la que estará lista en junio del 2012 con una inversión de 15 millones de dólares y dará empleo a más de 3 mil 500 personas.

El director de operaciones de Delphi en Norteamérica, Héctor Gutiérrez, reconoció que las condiciones laborales en Tamaulipas son excelentes y eso les ha dado la confianza para invertir más en la capital del Estado, además de la buena relación que hay con el gobierno de Egidio Torre Cantú.

En el evento participaron la Secretaria de Desarrollo Económico y Turismo del Estado, Mónica González García y el secretario general de la CTM, Edmundo García Román.

Por Delphi estuvieron presentes Doug Gruber, director ejecutivo para Norteamérica y John A. Sefcik, director de operaciones globales.

También por la mañana el mandatario estatal se reunió con el gerente divisional de operaciones de COPPEL, Francisco Ochoa, quien le anunció que la firma busca establecer once tiendas más en Tamaulipas en diferentes municipios.

Ante el Gobernador, dejó en claro que las condiciones para invertir más en Tamaulipas son muy buenas: “Nos va muy bien, Tamaulipas es un Estado excelente para poder invertir”, precisó Ochoa.

COPPEL genera actualmente 2 mil 300 empleos y piensan generar unos 700 empleos más, aprovechando que cuentan con todo el apoyo del gobierno de Egidio Torre Cantú.

Ochoa dijo que la instalación de once nuevas tiendas en Tamaulipas representaría para COPPEL una inversión de 700 millones de pesos, en un proyecto a consumarse en cuatro años, con la meta de tres tiendas por año.

Más tarde, en las instalaciones del Polyforum, el mandatario estatal encabezó la premiación “Emprendedor Fuerte 2011” a 37 pequeños empresarios que se adjudicaron esta distinción que el Fondo Tamaulipas del Gobierno del Estado les otorga a quienes han demostrado espíritu de trabajo, determinación y palabra.

8A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

Occupy camp deaths bring pressure for shutdown

By TERRY COLLINS ASSOCIATED PRESS

OAKLAND, Calif. — Leaders across the country felt increasing pressure Friday to shut down Occupy encampments after two men died in shootings and another was found dead from a suspected combination of drugs and carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a propane heater inside a tent.

Citing a strain on crime-fighting resources, police pleaded with Occupy Oakland protesters to leave their encampment at the City Hall plaza where a man was shot and killed late Thursday.

The Oakland Police Officer’s Association, which represents rank-and-file police, issued an open letter saying the camp is pulling officers away from crimeplagued neighborhoods.

“With last night’s homicide, in broad daylight, in the middle of rush hour, Frank Ogawa Plaza is no longer safe,” the letter said.

“Please leave peacefully, with your heads held high, so we can get police officers back to work fighting crime in Oakland neighborhoods.”

Mayor Jean Quan said the city would issue another official notice to protesters to leave the camp, but she did not give a deadline.

Since the shooting, anonymous fliers have been posted around the encampment urging protesters to leave.

“Occupiers, turn on your brains and see the harm you are causing to our town,” it says.

“You have devolved into mob rule. You have lost sight of the goal.”

City Council President Larry Reid said outside City Hall that the shooting was further proof the tents must come down. He was confronted by a protester who said he wouldn’t be in office much longer.

“You didn’t elect me,” Reid

Veteran enjoys music

By JEREMY SCHWARTZ AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN

KILLEEN — When Staff Sgt. James Cooper, 42, begins to miss his wife and his children back home at Fort Hood, he puts on some Lou Rawls “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” and his mind drifts away from the harsh realities of the war in Afghanistan.

“It reminds me of how hard she works all year, because she never gets a day off,” said Cooper, a 19-year Army veteran stationed at Bagram Air Base with Fort Hood’s 1st Cavalry Division.

“She has to play both roles, mother and father, and take care of all the little things when I’m gone, so that song reminds me of her every time I listen to it.”

For Dylan Chambers, 26, an Austin Community College student who served two tours in Iraq, hardcore metal music helped prepare him for missions that included providing convoy security for troops during the height of the Iraqi violence.

Photo by Rick Bowmer | AP

People gather in the Occupy Portland encampment on Friday in Portland, Ore. Mayor Sam Adams ordered one of the largest Occupy Wall Street camps in the country to pull up stakes. The protesters and homeless people at Occupy Oregon are trying to figure out what’s next as they face a deadline today for leaving two downtown park blocks they’ve occupied since Oct. 6.

snapped back. “You probably ain’t even registered to vote!”

Reid said the encampment has been a major setback for the area while attracting sex offenders, mentally ill and homeless people, and anarchists.

“This is no longer about Occupy Wall Street,” he said. “This is about occupying Oakland and extracting whatever you can get out of Oakland by holding our city hostage.”

The Oakland shooting occurred the same day a 35-year-old military veteran apparently shot himself to death in a tent at a Burlington, Vt., Occupy encampment.

On Friday, a man was found dead inside a tent at the Occupy Salt Lake City encampment, from what police said was a combination of drug use and carbon monoxide.

A preliminary investigation into the Oakland shooting suggested it resulted from a fight between two groups of men at or near the encampment, police Chief Howard Jordan said. Investigators do not know if the men in the fight were associated with Occupy Oakland, he said.

Protesters said there was no connection between the shooting and the camp.

The coroner’s office said it was

using fingerprints to identify the victim and that a positive identification was not likely to be released before Monday.

Protesters have been girding for another police raid as several City Council members have said the Oakland camp must go. After police cleared the camp last month, Quan changed course and allowed protesters to return.

The mayor’s reversal strained relationships with city police and other San Francisco Bay area law enforcement agencies. More than a dozen agencies joined Oakland police in the Oct. 25 raid on the camp under a mutual aid policy in which each agency covers its

own costs.

Alameda County Sheriff ’s Office spokesman Sgt. J.D. Nelson said Friday that Oakland will have to pick up the entire tab if it asks for deputies to assist another raid.

Mutual aid was designed for law enforcement agencies to assist each other in unplanned emergency situations, Nelson said.

“When government officials allowed those campers to go back in, well now, you know what you’re getting. It’s not an unplanned event,” he said.

In Vermont, police said a preliminary investigation showed the veteran fatally shot himself in the head in a tent in City Hall Park. The name of the Chittenden County man was being withheld because not all of his family has been notified.

The shooting raised questions about whether the protest would be allowed to continue, said Burlington police Deputy Chief Andi Higbee.

“Our responsibility is to keep the public safe. When there is a discharge of a firearm in a public place like this it’s good cause to be concerned, greatly concerned,” Higbee said.

The discovery of the man believed to be in his 40s at the Occupy Salt Lake City camp led police to order all protesters to leave the park where they have camped for weeks. The man has not been identified.

Group organizers said many of the roughly 150 protesters plan to go to jail rather than abandon the encampment.

“We don’t even know if this is a tragedy or just natural,” protest organizer Jesse Fruhwirth said.

“They’re scapegoating Occupy.”

Salt Lake City police Chief Chris Burbank said officers have made 91 arrests at the camp, roughly the same number seen in the area during all of the last year.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A

CLINIC Continued from Page 1A of in the middle.”

All get help All services provided by the medical mission were free and open to anyone who showed up. Solloa said the Zapata mission lacked some of the services provided in Laredo, such as flu shots and glaucoma screenings, because those services came about due to partnerships with the City of Laredo’s health department.

While she’d like to add these to Zapata’s mission in the future, she said 233 Zapatans got free checkups and dental care.

Also in short supply for border and rural Texas counties are psychologists, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Spirituality has been held to play a role in psychological and mental health, and this is why the mission emphasized the spiritual side of healing.

“We’re addressing the whole person. We have a series of Masses scheduled

Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times

Juanita Adriana Salinas, of Zapata, consults with Dr. Henry LopezRoman, a member of the Medical Missionaries of Divine Mercy of Sugarland, on Tuesday morning as part of a medical clinic at the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Parish Center in Zapata. throughout the week,” Tamayo said on Sunday.

needing the service.”

As this is a yearly endeavor, the missionaries and Catholic Social Services plan on returning to Zapata around this time next year, Solloa added.

“We’d like to thank the community of Zapata for coming out and making our mission successful,” she said.

(Mike Herrera IV can be reached at 728-2567 or mherrera@lmtonline.com)

Mass ends week Laredo’s San Luis Rey Catholic Church hosts a healing Mass at 7:30 p.m. today to close out mission activities.

“You could tell those who went through the process left very satisfied,” Solloa reflected. “They were really

MAURILIO V. MORALES Maurilio V. Morales, 61, passed away Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011, at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio. Mr. Morales was a school teacher for 30 years at Zapata I.S.D. Mr. Morales’ passion for playing the guitar led him to participate at numerous school and church functions.

Mr. Morales is preceded in death by his parents: Zaragoza and Petra V. Morales.

Mr. Morales is survived by his wife of 37 years, Juana H. Morales; two sons: Mario Alberto (Angela V.) Morales and Richard A. Morales; one grandchild, Kimberly L. Morales; and by numerous uncles, aunts, cousins and many friends.

Visitation hours were held Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a rosary at 7 p.m. and Monday, Nov. 7, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The funeral procession departed at 9:45 a.m. for a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Com-

mittal services followed at the Zapata County Cemetery.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rosegardenfuneralhome.com.

Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 Texas 83, Zapata.

TOURISTS Continued from Page 1A is localized,” Mexican tourism minister Gloria Guevara has insisted, backing the claim with statistics showing gangster violence largely limited to just dozens of the country’s 2,500 towns and cities, mostly near the border and far from tourist havens. “Tourists know that most of the country is peaceful.”

Still, resorts have had their quotient of woe.

Gangsters killed the police chief of Cancun a few years back and prosecutors accused the city’s former mayor of organized crime ties. Isolated killings have hit the smaller resorts on the coast below Cancun and the islands offshore. Soldiers and gunmen recently battled for

hours in Cabo San Lucas, on the tip of Baja California.

But Cabo, Cancun and others remain tourist magnets. Apart from Acapulco — where spiking violence has sharply accelerated a long decline in foreign visitors — few Mexican destinations have been as affected as Mazatlán.

A commercial fishing center with a charming colonial downtown that hosts opera and art galleries, Mazatlán became famous in the 1970s as a cruise ship port of call and a favorite of partying students.

Today, new luxury hotels and condominium developments sprout along beaches above and below

Fire destroys 2,000 acres ASSOCIATED PRESS

FALFURRIAS — Officials say a wildfire in an isolated area in South Texas burned about 2,000 acres before firefighters were able to bring it under control.

The fire broke out around 3:30 p.m. Thursday south of Falfurrias.

Hidalgo County Fire Marshal Juan Martinez says the blaze began in nearby Brooks County but might have spread into Hidalgo.

At least 10 local agencies responded to the fire and brought it under control by 6 p.m. No homes or structures were endangered.

Martinez says firefighters are using bulldozers to remove surrounding brush that could catch on fire from any embers.

A cause of the blaze was not determined.

Historic drought conditions in Texas have led to a rash of wildfires across the state this year.

the city. More than 20,000 Americans and Canadians make the city home each winter, a quarter of them staying year round, and several million more come for shorter visits.

But amid feuding between gangsters and factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, Mazatlán percentagewise has become the third deadliest corner of Mexico, a private Mexican think tank reported.

“We don’t go into dangerous areas and we’re certainly not into the drug culture,” said Colleen Olexiuk, who has come to Mazatlán with friend Lorraine Pederson each fall for the past six years, leaving husbands and families at home in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. “The only

Case sealed ASSOCIATED PRESS

EL PASO — A former El Paso County worker who pleaded guilty to public corruption charges has been sentenced but details have not been released.

The El Paso Times reported Friday the file on the penalty for John Travis Ketner is sealed.

Ketner in 2007 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and bribery.

danger might be random.

And random can happen anywhere.”

Ships coming back

bound slowly. A Princess spokeswoman did not answer requests for comment.

Warnings continue

Most cruise ships stopped calling on Mazatlán early this year, citing security fears. As many as 500,000 passengers who used to pump as much as $40 million a year into Mazatlán restaurants, shops and tours all but evaporated. Only 58,000 cruise ship passengers visited the port in the first half of this year.

But Princess Cruise Lines has announced its ships will start calling on the port again in the new year. Tourism officials expect the business to re-

The State Department continues warning American travelers that although they’re not particularly targeted because of their nationality “crime and violence are serious problems and can occur anywhere.” Debbie and Jack Gilman decided to drive from Jackson Hole, Wyo., to the new house they bought in Estrella del Mar, an upscale development wrapped around a world-class golf course 15 miles down the coast from Mazatlán.

RAFAEL ALCALA JR.

Rafael Alcala Jr., passed away Monday, Nov. 7, 2011, at his residence in Zapata.

Mr. Alcala is preceded in death by his daughter Blanca Estela Alcala; granddaughter, Esmeralda Alcala; parents: Rafael and Guadalupe Alcala; sisters Aurora Puente and Alicia Alcala; and a daughter-in-law, Carmen Alcala.

Mr. Alcala is survived by his sons: Rafael Alcala, III, Jose E. (Josefa T.) Alcala and Juan (Maria Elena) Valdez; daughters Julieta Alcala and Rosa Maria (Raul) Hurtado; and by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; sisters Maria Del Refugio (Alfredo) Martinez and Esperanza Alcala Quintanilla; and by numerous relatives and friends.

Visitation hours were held Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a rosary at 7 p.m., and Friday, Nov. 11, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The funeral procession departed at 9:45 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Zapata, Texas.

Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 Texas 83, Zapata.

PABLO BRISEÑO SR. Pablo Briseño Sr., 82, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo.

Mr. Briseño is preceded in death by his parents: Alberto and Angelita M. Briseño; and by his brothers: Francisco Briseño and Martin Briseño.

Mr. Briseño is survived by his wife of 57 years, Enriqueta Vela Briseño; sons: Pablo Jr. (Sheyla) Briseño, Martin (Hilda) Briseño, Roberto (Cynthia) Briseño, Jesus Ruben (Chriselda) Briseño and Adrian Luis (Ana Laura) Briseño; daughters: Margarita (Adrian) Castillo and Marisela Briseño; 23 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; sisters: Herminia Bustamante, Angelica Ramirez

and Maria Villarreal; and by numerous other family members and friends.

Mr. Briseño was a lifelong rancher. His hobby was spending time at the ranch and enjoying the outdoors.

Visitation hours were held Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a rosary at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The funeral procession departed at 10:30 a.m. for a funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Zapata, Texas.

Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home,

Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 Texas 83, Zapata.

10A THE ZAPATA TIMES

Obama honors vets

By MARK S. SMITH ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARLINGTON, Va. — Heralding the end of one war and the drawdown of another, President Barack Obama observed Veterans Day on Friday by urging Americans to hire the thousands of servicemen and women coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

In remarks at Arlington National Cemetery, he called it “a time when America needs all hands on deck.”

“The tide of war is receding,” Obama said. “My fellow Americans, our troops are coming home.”

He spoke on a chilly autumn morning to an audience of veterans and dignitaries in the cemetery’s amphitheater shortly after placing a floral wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Following the ceremony, Obama left the White House for a flight to San Diego to join in a holiday basketball game aboard an aircraft carrier — the start of a nine-day trip that includes an Asia-Pacific summit in Hawaii and stops in Australia and Indonesia.

Obama used his Arlington speech to mark the coming transition from a nation fighting multiple wars in the aftermath of Sept. 11 to one where reviving a struggling economy is the overriding focus.

Last month, Obama announced plans to withdraw the last U.S. troops from Iraq. Between that and Obama’s commencement of a drawdown in Afghanistan, he said, for many military families, “this holiday season will be a season of homecomings.”

And he urged Americans to greet the returning vets with jobs and offers of help.

“Let us welcome them home as what they are: an integral, essential part of our American family,” Obama said.

Obama spoke a day after the Senate passed his proposal to give companies tax credits for hiring jobless veterans. “Our economy needs their talents and specialized skills,” he said.

Earlier, with the aid of an honor guard, Obama placed the wreath on a pedestal in front of the marble tomb, then stood with a hand over his heart as a bugler played “Taps.” A bell tolled and flags fluttered.

First lady Michelle Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and other dignitaries watched from the side.

Obama’s aircraft carrier visit is to the USS Carl Vinson, docked in San Diego.

The first-ever Carrier Classic basketball game pits Michigan State against No. 1 North Carolina on board the ship. The ship is the same one from which Osama bin-Laden’s remains were buried at sea following the raid in Pakistan that killed al-Qaida’s top leader.

In an essay in Friday’s San Diego Union-Tribune, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill wrote that “because of the incredible courage of the 9-11 generation, the tide of war is receding and America is more secure than a decade ago.”

“But as our service members return, many are discovering a new battlefield as they leave the military and search for civilian employment opportunities,” they wrote.

Their article also made a pitch for the veterans’ assistance the Senate approved on a 95-0 vote. The bill, expected to clear the House next week, also includes more counseling and job training for unemployed veterans and service members about to leave the military.

Unemployment is high among veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Labor Department estimates that 12.1 percent of veterans who served in the military since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were unemployed in October.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

LAWSUIT Continued from Page 1A roof and water damage to the interior walls. At that time, attorney Norman Jolly listed ceiling cracks and loose stone work as additional issues.

The preliminary agenda for Monday’s meeting lists Cruz as the person requesting the agenda item for executive session. He declined to comment further on the matter.

A second disagreement Cruz also requested two more agenda items, both dealing with a dispute between M1 Solutions, Inc. and the Zapata County Sheriffs Office.

“That is a claim we may be pursuing on behalf of the county for equipment owed to the county by M1,” Cruz explained.

According to the agenda item, M1 Solutions owes the office “laptops and accessory equip-

“

This is a breech of contract lawsuit …The suit is for defective construction.”

ATTONREY JUAN CRUZ

ment.”

The issue pops up again under executive session, only this time it adds “Discussion and possible action concerning M1 Solutions Inc.’s dispute as to monies allegedly owed to M1 for work performed for the Zapata County Sheriffs Office.” It also refers to the equipment M1 allegedly owes the sheriffs office.

The court will also discuss accepting the title to a parcel of land belonging to Siesta Shores Water Control and Improvement District. The title is needed in order to move Lift Station G to ac-

commodate demolition of the Valeño Bridge, said County Judge Joseph Rathmell.

“The old bridge is going to be demolished and a new one put up,” he said. “TxDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) has been planning for a couple of years to construct the bridge. To do this, the lift station has to be moved.”

The title transfer is not expected to cost the county anything.

In other business, the court will consider approving the name change for the Zapata County Advanced Education

Center to the Zapata County Technical and Advanced Education Center. The change was approved last month by the ZTAC steering committee.

ZTAC Dean David Brown will also update the court on infrastructure and course offerings.

According to Brown, ZTAC received over 2,500 pounds of high tech equipment this week.

The court will also consider approving a continuation of its agreement with Serving Children and Adolescents in Need (SCAN). Rathmell said Zapata County has for some time offered SCAN in-kind compensation in exchange for the agency’s drug prevention and intervention services.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Zapata County Courthouse.

(Mike Herrera IV can be reached at 728-2567 or mherrera@lmtonline.com)

CRASH Continued from Page 1A in a mountainous area of Mexico State.

Calderón lost an earlier interior secretary, Juan Camilo Mourino, in the crash of a Learjet in Mexico City on Nov. 4, 2008. Despite widespread speculation that the accident, which killed 16, was caused by sabotage, investigators eventually blamed pilot error.

Suspicions commonly swirl around the deaths of prominent people in Mexico, and Calderón appeared to try to quell any suggesti-

ons of sabotage this time, saying Blake Mora’s helicopter “was always under guard” in the hangar of Mexico’s equivalent of the Secret Service and that it had recently undergone maintenance.

One of Blake Mora’s last postings on his Twitter account commemorated the loss of Mourino.

“Today we remember Juan Camilo Mourino three years after his death, a person who was working to build a better Mexico,” Blake Mora tweeted on

Nov. 4.

Blake Mora, 45, started his political career in the mid-1990s as an official in his native Tijuana and served as a federal congressman through the 2000s, as well as interior secretary of Baja California.

As Calderón’s point man in the government’s war against organized crime, he frequently traveled to the country’s most dangerous places for meetings with besieged state and local security officials.

He was an embodiment of the Mexican government’s get-tough attitude, publicly pledging to bring the fight to the traffickers instead of backing down.

“Organized crime, in its desperation, resorts to committing atrocities that we can’t and shouldn’t tolerate as a government and as a society,” he said.

He also oversaw response to disasters, such as flooding and the massive oil pipeline explosion that laid waste to parts of the central city of San Martin

Texmelucan last year, killing at least 28 people.

He led the creation of a new national identity card for youths under 18, with modern features including digitalized fingerprints and iris images, to prevent criminals from using false IDs. Blake Mora’s funeral was scheduled for today.

Calderón canceled many of his appearances, including a trip to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting of world leaders in Hawaii next week.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Sports&Outdoors CROSS COUNTRY

COLUMN

Garcia to state

No NBA season?

Who cares?

Photo by Clara Sandoval | The Zapata Times

Zapata sophomore Jazmine Garcia places fifth at regionals last weekend with a time of 12:12 to earn a trip to the 3A state cross country championships. As a freshman, Jazmine placed ninth at state to represent Zapata.

VOLLEYBALL

DE LEON IS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Photo by Clara Sandoval | The Zapata Times

Zapata’s Kristina de Leon was named District 32-3A’s Offensive Player of the Year following a spectacular campaign for the Lady Hawks this season and helping lead them to another district championship.

The NBA lockout continues to spill over into its fifth month and there are no signs that it will be over soon.

But I’m not even mad.

With so many professional sports around and college hoops, I have not missed the NBA. If for some reason I need to get my NBA fix, thank goodness for ESPN Classic, where they replay great NBA games of the past.

I do recall those years that I was glued to watching the NBA Finals and there were always a good guy-versus-bad guy mentality in my mind.

I was transfixed with Michael Jordan when he came out of college and was lucky to buy a rookie card, which I have to this day.

The Bulls’ title runs were the good old days, or even when the Rockets won a pair of titles, I rooted for them because, in my eyes, they were the good guys.

Now we are left with nothing.

I plan on making a few trips to Austin to watch the University of Texas men’s and women’s basketball teams and see how their years unfold, because, for some reason, that burnt orange draws me to them.

The NBA lockout leaves a bad taste in fans’ mouths because they are squabbling over money, and it’s the little guy that is hurting right now.

Businesses around the arenas that depend indirectly on the revenue that games bring are the ones that are hurting, not the owners and not the players.

It’s silly to think that the players should deserve half of all revenue because they see themselves as the ones that bring it. What job in America that you work at gives you 50 percent of the profits? None!

Professional sports are filled with athletes that do not finish their college education and are crybabies about money. Lockouts make me sick because of the greed that surrounds them.

So with no NBA on the horizon, my attention has turned to college hoops.

I love that fact that now they televise more college women’s basketball games on TV. I do enjoy watching the evil empire of UConn and their NCAA runs.

March Madness drives me crazy, so much basketball all the time, that I sometimes want to go into hibernation with a TV and just watch college hoops all day until the Final Four.

A few years ago, when the Final Four in women’s basketball came to San Antonio, I was fortunate to cover the event.

I was in awe with everything and enjoyed it every minute, from the media sessions to the open practices. It was an experience I will never forget.

This past summer, I covered the WNBA AllStar game for the Laredo Morning Times, and

See LOCKOUT PAGE 2B

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Penn State trustees promise to search for truth

By GENARO C. ARMAS AND MARC LEVY ASSOCIATED PRESS

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The arduous task of rebuilding Penn State’s shattered image began Friday with a pledge by the board of trustees to search for the truth amid an unfolding child sex abuse case against a former assistant football coach, a scandal that has already claimed the jobs of coach Joe Paterno and the school’s president.

In front of an overflow crowd at a meeting that was moved from a hotel boardroom to a ballroom to accommodate more people, the trustees opened with Chairman Steve Garban welcoming the replacement president, Rod Erickson,

PATERNO: Former Penn State coach was fired Wednesday over scandal. and Gov. Tom Corbett, who had pressed publicly for fast action by trustees accustomed to deferring to Spanier.

The meeting was the first public gathering of the 32member board in the wake of the scandal that has gripped one of the nation’s largest universities and touched off a violent student demonstration.

Garban pledged to support Erickson — the trustees removed the “interim” tag on his new title but will continue to search for a permanent successor to ousted President Graham Spanier — as the board works “for

the future of this institution that we respect and love.”

Erickson, previously the university’s longtime provost, said Penn State must devote itself to its core values — honesty, integrity, excellence and community — now more than ever.

“I know we can do this.

We are resilient; we are a university that will rebuild the trust and confidence that so many people have had in us for so many years,” Erickson said in a six-minute speech to the trustees.

Without mentioning Spanier or Paterno, Erickson told trustees that their deliberate and decisive action had set a course for the university’s future. His

See PENN STATE PAGE 2B

Photo by Michael Henninger | AP

Penn State students flip a television news van during a riot after it was announced that Joe Paterno would no longer be head coach of Penn State football on Wednesday.

PAGE 2B

Zscores

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

Texans’ running back duo packs a punch

By CHRIS DUNCAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOUSTON — The Texans already knew they could depend on Arian Foster. Turns out they can rely on Ben Tate, too.

Houston (6-3) has won three in a row heading into Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay (4-4) and is the only team with two running backs among the league’s top 10.

Foster, last year’s leading rusher, ranks eighth with 656 yards and Tate is right behind him in ninth with 623.

“It just makes the team stronger,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “More guys contributing makes the team stronger, continues to push everybody to a new level and that’s what we’re trying to do right now.”

Foster and Tate have both run for more than 100 yards in two of the last three games. Foster has been getting slightly more carries each game, and averages 4.3 yards per rush. Tate is averaging 5.7 yards per carry, No. 1 in the league among backs with at least 100.

Photo by David J. Phillip | AP

The Houston Texans’ running back Ben Tate (44) runs in the third quarter of an NFL game against the Cleveland Browns Sunday, in Houston.

While Tate is content with the backup role for now, he’s also keeping a constant eye on what Foster is doing in games.

“I don’t think we talk about it,” Tate said. “I just kind of

know he’s a competitor, and he knows I’m a competitor, so it’s not anything that needs to be said. We just go out there and show it by touching the ball and try to outdo the guy who just

touched it before you.”

With Kubiak splitting their carries, the two have learned to work together on the sideline.

“Every time I come off the field I talk to him, just to kind of

see what he sees and what he feels,” Foster said, “because we are both kind of going through the same thing. So it’s good to kind of get little bits of information. I try and share everything I know with him and vice versa, so it’s a good thing we have going.”

It’s evolved almost by necessity, as both backs coped with early-season injuries.

Foster was bothered by a left hamstring strain through much of training camp and early in the regular season. Tate, a secondround draft pick in 2010, sat out last season with a broken right ankle, so he was eager to show what he could do in the pros.

The former Auburn star rushed for more than 100 yards in Houston’s first two games and immediately gained the confidence of his teammates.

“We knew what we had in Arian last year and what he was able to do,” tight end Owen Daniels said. “It’s been impressive to see Ben come out. I’ll be the first to tell you, I didn’t expect this out of him this year. “

Cowboys’ defense being run over

By STEPHEN HAWKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS

IRVING — The Dallas Cowboys defense is suddenly getting run over.

Rob Ryan’s group was the league’s top rushing defense only two weeks ago. Then LeSean McCoy of Philadelphia ran for a career-high 185 yards against them and Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch followed with his first 100yard game in nearly three years.

“When you’re doing well and you don’t give up 100 yards, then you do, you have to pay attention to that,” linebacker Bradie James said. “We have to definitely concentrate on that and try to fix it.”

After allowing only 418 rushing yards the first six games, the Cowboys have allowed 401 the last two — both coming when Dallas lost leading tackler Sean Lee, who dislocated his left wrist at Philadelphia and then missed the Seattle game.

Maybe they just had a couple of bad games.

“Things that are fixable,” linebacker Anthony Spencer said after watching film.

“That’s probably the positive thing about it is because the things we are messing up on can be corrected.”

Dallas has gone from allowing only 70 yards rushing per game to 100, now 10th in the NFL. “We didn’t go from 1 to 32. So, we’ll be fine,” James said.

Coach Jason Garrett believes the Cowboys (4-4) just have to improve their execution.

“There have been some plays that teams have run against us, but we’ve defended those runs throughout the year as well. It’s not the first time we’ve seen that,” Garrett said. “The thing that makes us feel good is we’ve defended the run really well for a large portion of the season. We’ve just got to get back to doing that.”

Photo by Jose Yau | AP

The Dallas Cowboys’ defense has struggled to stop the run in its past two games.

And fast, with Buffalo (5-3) and Fred Jackson, the NFL’s third-leading rusher, heading to town Sunday.

Jackson already has five 100-yard rushing games this season, and his 803 yards trail only McCoy (825) and Chicago’s Matt Forte (805).

“The best rusher in the game right now, Action Jackson,” James said. “He’s mobile. ... He’s the real deal.

He’s a full package. We have

LOCKOUT Continued from Page 1B that was a dream come true.

I was able to interview Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Swin Cash and so many more WNBA All-Stars. These were the athletes that I watched when they were in college and made those great runs and now they were standing in front of me.

I did not run and hug them or even ask them for an autograph because, like I try to explain to my friends, I was there as a journalist, not a fan, and there is a code on how to conduct yourself and asking for an autograph is a no-no.

When I covered the Gold Cup in Houston this past summer, a journalist from Honduras decided that he was going to ask Chicharito, the Mexican star soccer player, for his autograph. He was kicked out of the event.

Anyway, that’s neither here nor there.

The NBA season could be cancelled and I am not going to lose sleep over it. It’s hard to concern yourself with greedy, self-conscious people when there are others more deserving of your attention.

(Clara Sandoval can be reached at sandoval.clara@gmail.com)

our work cut out for us because we’ve given up a couple of 100-yard rushing games, so we’ve got to hone in on what we need to do defensively. We have to stop the run to give us a chance to win.”

Jackson also has 30 catches for 391 yards, and is the first Buffalo player since Thurman Thomas with 1,100 yards from scrimmage in the first eight games of a

season.

“He’s really explosive,” Spencer said. “Whenever he has the ball in his hands, he’s a threat of scoring.

We’ve definitely got to keep him under wraps.”

This is also trip home for Jackson, who went to high school in Arlington and grew up in a neighborhood that is no longer there. The area is where Cowboys Stadium now stands.

“It was a lot of fun. We were young kids playing football out in the middle of the street,” Jackson said.

“It’s a completely different place than what I grew up in. So it will be a lot of fun to get back.”

Jackson has been back since Cowboys Stadium was built, and last February he got tickets for the Super Bowl there for his parents, who still live nearby.

Hamilton out of surgery ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARLINGTON — Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton had successful surgery Friday to repair a sports hernia.

The surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia, a day after Hamilton was examined there and the

hernia was confirmed by an MRI. The Rangers say Hamilton is scheduled to return to Texas on Saturday and that the slugger is expected to be fully recovered for the start of spring training in February.

Meyers also performed surgery on Hamilton in

2009 for a partial tear of a right abdominal muscle.

Hamilton was limited in the playoffs for the AL champions, but hit .271 with one homer and 13 RBIs without missing a game.

The 2010 AL MVP hit .298 with 25 homers and 94 RBIs in 121 regularseason games.

PENN STATE Continued from Page 1B heart aches for the victims and their families, he said, and he pledged to reassure Penn Staters that the university’s future is still bright.

Paterno and Spanier were fired Wednesday in the fallout of a shocking days-old grand jury report alleging repeated, illicit contact between retired assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and boys as young as 10 over a span of 15 years, sometimes in Penn State’s facilities.

The grand jury report said that administrators did not contact law enforcement authorities after a graduate assistant for the football team said he saw Sandusky sodomizing a boy of about 10 years old in the locker room showers at the team’s practice center in 2002. Top

school officials, including Paterno and Spanier, say they weren’t told about the seriousness of the matter.

Sandusky has been aware of the accusations against him for about three years and has maintained his innocence, his lawyer has said.

The board adjourned after forming an investigative committee, to be headed by trustee Kenneth Frazier, the CEO of pharmaceutical company Merck, to dig into the university’s failure to stop Sandusky’s alleged activity. Ronald Tomalis, a trustee and state education secretary, will be vice chairman.

The rest of the committee has yet to be formed, but Frazier said it will have the power to hire independent lawyers and plans to public-

ly release the entirety of its findings.

“That’s absolutely what we intend to do,” Frazier said after the meeting. “The purpose of this investigation is to ensure that the public understands everything that we learn in this investigation and a report will be made completely public as quickly as we possibly can.”

The university as a whole, however, has a long way to go before anything can be considered routine now that Paterno, whose 46 years leading the Nittany Lions turned him into an icon in the area known as Happy Valley and beyond, is gone. The school named defensive coordinator Tom Bradley interim coach on Thursday.

Paterno’s firing touched

off a violent student rally late Wednesday, requiring police in riot gear, at times using pepper spray, to disperse about 2,000 who took to the streets and toppled a television news van.

The university’s faculty senate on Friday called on students and employees to “act in ways that bring honor to our institution and ourselves.”

Sandusky served as Paterno’s top defensive assistant for more than two decades and at one time was considered his heir apparent. But he abruptly retired in 1999, about a year after university police investigated a complaint by the mother of a woman upset that Sandusky had showered with and bear-hugged her 11-year-old son, the grand jury report alleged.

Authorities said Sandusky met many of his alleged victims through The Second Mile, a charity he founded in 1977 to help at-risk youth.

Former athletic director Tim Curley and former university vice president Gary Schultz have been charged with perjury and failure to report the 2002 assault, as required by state law. Lawyers for the men say that they are innocent, that they told the truth to the grand jury and that they told Spanier what they knew, fulfilling their legal obligation.

About a week and a half after the 2002 incident, the graduate assistant — identified by people familiar with the investigation as Mike McQueary, now the team’s wide receivers coach — met with Curley and Schultz,

and told them he had witnessed what he believed to be Sandusky having sex with a boy, the grand jury report said.

But Spanier told the grand jury that Schultz and Curley went to him and reported an incident that made a member of Curley’s staff “uncomfortable.”

“Spanier described it as ‘Jerry Sandusky in the football building locker area in the shower ... with a younger child and they were horsing around in the shower,”’ the grand jury report said.

Paterno, major college football’s winningest coach, has said he wasn’t told “the very specific actions” contained in the grand jury report, but he also has acknowledged that “with the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

LAREDO MORNING TIMES 3B

HINTS BY HELOISE Hi, Heloise: I would love to see a once-a-month readers’ “FAVORITE HINT” column. Mine is one you printed years ago, which is to add six or eight additional folded plastic trash bags inside the bottom of the plastic trash container under the sink. Saves a trip out to the garage where the spare bags are stored when changing bags. Keep up the great work. — Will Johnston, Mission Viejo, Calif.

Wonderful, Will! So, readers, what do you think?

What is your favorite Heloise hint? What has saved you the most time, footsteps, money or aggravation? — Heloise PET PAL Dear Readers: Lori S., via email, sent a photo of her orange short-haired cat, Eddie, snuggling with her tricolored beagle, Tubby. They look very cozy together! To see Eddie, Tubby and other Pet Pals, visit www.Heloise.com and click on “Pets.” — Heloise GREEN HINT Dear Heloise: The plastic utensils from fast-food restaurants are actually quite sturdy, and I save a few of them. They are perfect for

“

HELOISE

eating a quick meal at home, and they go through the dishwasher nicely. I feel like I’m doing a small part to help the environment! — A Reader in Texas LINEN-BAG REUSE Hello, Heloise: Reuse the plastic zipper bags that linens come in to organize baby toys or any small, loose items. I put animal figurines in one bag and wooden blocks in another. Take care. — Sarah, via email SKUNK SOLUTION Dear Heloise: Here’s a great tip for most any homeowner. A friend spied a skunk wandering around in his backyard. He nearly panicked, as his wife’s card club was due to arrive in about an hour.

Trying to think what might chase it away, he remembered how his cat hates the noise of the vacuum cleaner. He revved that up, and voila — skedaddled skunk! — Betty G., Circleville, Ohio

ARTICLES FOR SALE 136 32” Window and Door, $110 both. Call (956) 229-9327

an idea that SELLS. LEGALS

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Request For Proposal FOR

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Request For Proposal FOR E-Rate Eligible Services (Priority Two) Funding Year 15 by

E-Rate Eligible Services (Priority One) Funding Year 15by

Zapata County Independent School District

Zapata County Independent School District

17th Street and Carla

17thStreet and Carla

Zapata, Texas 78076

Zapata, Texas 78076

BID No. ZCISD15112011IC E-Rate Funding Year 15 (7/1/12-6/30/2013)

BID No. ZCISD15112011T E-Rate Funding Year 15 (7/1/12-6/30/2013) Zapata County Independent School District is soliciting proposals forTelecommunications through the E-Rate Program funding round 15.

Zapata County I.S.D. will accept proposals marked Attn: Tech Bid Desk for ZAPATA COUNTY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, entity number 141503. All bidders must read and abide by the Eligible Services List on the Schools and Libraries Web site. Please go to www.zcisd.org and click on ‘RFP for E-Rate FY15’ to view RFP in its entirety. Proposals must be comprehensive, itemized and have a valid SPIN issued by USAC, refer to full RFP posting for details.

Proposal must be received on or before December 5, 2012 by 4:30 p.m. Zapata County I.S.D., 702 E. 17th Street, P.O. Box 158, Zapata, Texas 78076. Bids that are received after the deadline will be returned unopened to the bidder. Please see full RFP for details.

The Zapata County Independent School District Form 470 can be view on the Universal Service Administrative Company website, www.usac.org. As per USAC rules and regulations, Form 470 and RFP must be posted for 28 days. After the 28th day, Z.C.I.S.D. will meet and decide based on an evaluation matrix on a vendor that is most advantageous to the district.

ONLY DIR Contracts will be entertained for this RFP. If there are any questions concerning this RFP, refer to www.zcisd.org and click on ‘RFP for ERate FY15’.

L-79

Zapata County Independent School District is soliciting proposals for Data Communication Equipment, Data Protection Equipment and Data Wireless Communication Equipment (Internal Connections) through the E-Rate Program funding round 15.

Zapata County I.S.D. will accept proposals marked Attn: Tech Bid Desk for ZAPATA COUNTY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, entity number 141503. All bidders must read and abide by the Eligible Services List on the Schools and Libraries Web site. Please go to www.zcisd.org and click on ‘RFP for E-Rate FY15’ to view RFP in its entirety. Proposals must be comprehensive, itemized and have a valid SPIN issued by USAC, refer to full RFP posting for details. We urge but do not required potential bidders to perform an informal walkthrough to gather a better understanding of district’s needs, refer to full RFP for details.

Proposal must be received on or before December 5, 2012 by 4:30 p.m. Zapata County I.S.D., 702 E. 17th Street, P.O. Box 158, Zapata, Texas 78076. Bids that are received after the deadline will be returned unopened to the bidder. Please see full RFP for details.

The Zapata County Independent School District Form 470 can be view on the Universal Service Administrative Company website, www.usac.org. As per USAC rules and regulations, Form 470 and RFP must be posted for 28 days. After the 28th day, Z.C.I.S.D. will meet and decide based on an evaluation matrix on a vendor that is most advantageous to the district.

If there are any questions concerning this RFP, refer to www.zcisd.org and click on ‘RFP for ERate FY15’.

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HELP WANTED

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Sports

4B THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

No. 17 Wildcats ready to host struggling Ags

By DAVE SKRETTA ASSOCIATED PRESS

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Bill Snyder acknowledges that Kansas State didn’t handle success very well, a rare admission from a coach who is so detail-oriented that he famously posted a sign on the door to the football complex reminding visitors to wipe their feet.

The No. 17 Wildcats were riding high after winning their first seven games, but were batted back to earth with a 59-21 loss to Oklahoma two weeks ago.

“We might have lost sight of where we were and how we got there,” Snyder said, “and we certainly paid the price.”

The 72-year-old coach said that the Wildcats responded much better to that defeat, and it showed against Oklahoma State, which was equally devastating for different reasons.

Unlike the lopsided loss to the Sooners, Kansas State was in the game until the end, when it failed to score a tying touchdown from the Cowboy’s 5 on the last play of the game.

“I think we handled the Oklahoma loss in the appropriate way, under the circumstances, and I admire our players for that,” Snyder said. “Consequently, they came back and performed well.”

Now the question is: How will the Wildcats perform after this loss?

Photo by Alonzo Adams | AP

Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) looks for an open receiver during a play against Oklahoma in a football game in Norman, Okla., Nov. 5.

Texas A&M comes to town Saturday for what is likely to be its final visit to Manhattan in quite some time. The Aggies are headed to the SEC after this season.

Both teams are stinging from the loss of two straight — the Aggies were dumped by the Sooners and Missouri — and both are fighting for bowl positioning with three games remaining.

“We talk about being 1-0 in our daily work — every segment of every practice, every repetition of

every practice, every day it is the same thing,” Snyder said.

“We’re just trying to get better,” he said, “and that is the consistency of it. Whether it was a win or a loss, regardless of what your record is, the bottom line is, if you want to be a better team, you have to practice to get better.”

That sounds simple enough.

Everyone knows that it isn’t.

Texas A&M began the season with lofty expectations, but it’s been a bumpy road fraught with

injuries and stinging losses. Now, the Aggies head out for their final road game of the season with contending for the Big 12 long removed from the picture.

“Certainly, our expectations and where we are right now don’t coexist at this point,” Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman acknowledged. “We just have to win a ballgame against an opponent who hasn’t made a whole lot of mistakes. I thought we improved defensively this past week, we

just have to find a way to eliminate the turnovers on offense.”

Oh, and find a way to replace their leading rusher.

The Aggies haven’t just lost two straight games, they also lost Christine Michael for the season with a torn ACL in their 41-25 defeat last week to Oklahoma.

That’ll put more pressure on Cyrus Gray, who needs 14 yards to become the fifth player in school history with 3,000 yards.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill can also eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark — for the season — with 299 yards passing today. He leads a prolific no-huddle offense that has already hit the 500-yard mark six times this season, including 681 yards against Baylor.

“They’re a good running team.

They have a good running back, and they have some nice receivers with great size,” Kansas State defensive back Allen Chapman said.

“I think we are battle tested, but at the same time, it’s football.”

Kansas State’s offense is diametrically opposite of the Aggies, relying on quarterback Collin Klein’s legs as much as his feet.

Routinely bruised and bloodied, Klein nonetheless has put together a remarkable season in the most unorthodox of fashions. He’s only thrown for 1,223 yards and nine scores, but also has 906 yards and 19 TDs on the ground.

That puts him in a tie for third in scoring with Temple’s Bernard Pierce.

Baylor looks to get back on track against Kansas

By DAVE SKRETTA ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo by Eric Gay | AP

Texas’ Joe Bergeron (24) runs for the end zone during the third quarter of a football game against Texas Tech, Nov. 5, in Austin.

No. 16 UT travels to MU

By R.B. FALLSTROM ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri coach Gary Pinkel spoke this summer about the unfairness of the Longhorn Network. Texas’ ability to televise high school games is an invaluable recruiting tool for a school that already has tons of tradition going for it.

Back in July, when Missouri’s future conference destination was unknown, Pinkel complained that the arrangement reflected “a lack of common sense.”

Well, he doesn’t have to worry about that anymore.

One last time as fellow conference members, Missouri (4-5, 2-4 Big 12) takes on No. 21 Texas today.

Whatever differences the schools have, pretty soon it won’t matter.

Texas (6-2, 3-2) has squashed its last two opponents at home by a combined score of 95-20, putting the running game into overdrive. It’s taken six

straight in the series and whipped Missouri in Columbia, Mo., 41-7 in the last meeting in 2009.

So Texas coach Mack Brown can afford to take the high road.

Brown said this week that he liked Pinkel and knew he’d be a good coach when Missouri hired him in 2001, even if he’s “opinionated, like most of us are.” Brown also said there’s plenty for him to worry about other than conference realignment.

“I’ve got my own problems,” Brown said. “My plate’s full. I don’t get in fights with other coaches.”

As for Missouri’s departure, Brown has moved on.

“I don’t think you can fault anybody for doing what’s best for their university,” Brown said. “I think I’m ready for everybody to get settled. I’d like to know what our schedule is going to be next year.”

Pinkel wasn’t asked about his opposition to the Longhorn Network at this

week’s media day, and wouldn’t have said much in any case. On-the-field concerns occupy all his time, too.

In the last Big 12 meeting, Pinkel will be trying to beat Texas for the first time. The Tigers will need a smoother effort than in recent weeks.

“As we’ve been up and down and very inconsistent this year, with three games left some goals we want to accomplish are still there,” Pinkel said.

“My immediate concern is winning the game. The rest of that stuff, you reflect on later.”

Missouri plays Texas Tech at home next week and finishes against Kansas in Kansas City, and needs to win two of the last three to become bowl eligible for the seventh straight season. Limiting the Longhorns’ ground game, which is coming off backto-back 400-yard rushing games for the first time since 1977, will be a key.

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Art Briles may understand better than most the scope of the rebuilding job that Turner Gill is trying to undertake at Kansas.

After a successful fiveyear run at Houston, Briles took over one of the lowliest programs in the history of the Big 12 prior to the 2008 season. The Bears had been 31-94 under three coaches the previous 11 seasons, their last winning record coming in 1995.

Things were tedious the first two years, too. Baylor finished just 4-8 each season while Briles laid the groundwork for what was to come: a breakthrough 7-6 season, an appearance in the Texas Bowl and a lofty ranking earlier this year, all triggered by a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in Robert Griffin III and a plethora of other talented players.

Now, the Bears (5-3, 2-3 Big 12) can become bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1991-92 if they can beat struggling Kansas (2-7, 0-6) today.

“Every game is a huge game,” Briles said. “We’ve done a good enough job to put us in position. We understand it’s going to be a tough road. When you line up in conference play, they’re all tough. It makes no difference who, when or where.”

That’s something that Gill is quickly finding out.

He took over the Jayhawks just a few years removed from an Orange Bowl victory, but that only

partly masked the fact that the program was rudderless its last few years under Mark Mangino.

The Jayhawks were 5-7 in his final year in Lawrence, and already the dearth of talent that had been brought onto campus following those highwater years was becoming evident.

In an effort to speed the recovery, school officials turned to Gill, who like Briles had enjoyed a successful run at a smaller school. The former Nebraska quarterback took a longtime doormat at Buffalo to the top of the MidAmerican Conference and its first bowl game.

Just like Briles found those first couple years at Baylor, Gill realized it’s much easier to rebuild a program in Conference USA — or the MAC, in his case — than the Big 12.

The Jayhawks stumbled to a 3-9 finish last year, winning just one conference game, and are headed for a similar fate this season. Their heartbreaking 13-10 loss at Iowa State last Saturday was their sixth straight, and things won’t get a whole lot easier with games against Missouri, Texas A&M and border rival Missouri to finish up the season.

“Every situation is different,” Briles said earlier this week, when asked about Gill’s rebuilding effort. “Until you’re in the fire with someone, then you never really know what the situation is. For me to speculate how it is going up there, it’s taken every ounce of energy and brainpower I have to take

care of what we’ve got going on here.”

What’s going on down in Waco is one of the best seasons in school history.

Sure, the Bears were ranked No. 15 at one point this season before a road loss to Kansas State and, later on, back-to-back losses to Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. But all three of those programs were ranked at the time.

With games still on the docket against Kansas and Texas Tech, plus higher-profile matchups against Oklahoma and Texas, the Bears could wrap up their first backto-back winning seasons since 1994-95 and perhaps even match the 1991 team that won eight games under Grant Teaff.

“You don’t want to be a one-and-done bowl team, so getting back to being bowl eligible is big,” said Griffin, who ranks second nationally in total offense, piling up 396 yards per game.

“It’s not all we want,” he added. “We don’t just want six wins, but it’s definitely part of the process.

We know we’ve got to go do it on the road, and we’re looking forward to it.”

Griffin prefers to talk about the team before himself, but there is also plenty on the line for him the final four games of the season.

One of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy, Griffin is riding perhaps his best stretch of the season. He’s thrown for 400-plus yards in three straight games, giving him four of the eight-best totals in school history.

No. 2 OSU hopes to avoid upset in Lubbock

By BETSY BLANEY ASSOCIATED PRESS

LUBBOCK — Mike Gundy could use a little guidance.

The Oklahoma State coach has led the No. 2-ranked Cowboys to their best record in 65 years and will play for the national title if they win their three remaining games, beginning with Texas Tech today. That puts Gundy and Oklahoma State, which last won its first nine games in 1945, on unfamiliar ground with pressure building.

“I run every day. I guess that is my release valve,” Gundy said. “I wish there were coaches and players out there that have been in this situation or are in this situation that know how to relieve it. I wish they would let me know. I certainly do not know how, other than to focus on practice.”

Oklahoma State (9-0, 6-0 Big 12)

has never reached 10 wins and has never been ranked this high. The Red Raiders (5-4, 2-4 Big 12) have lost three straight Big 12 games at home this season, including a lopsided 41-7 drubbing by Iowa State that came after they stunned virtually everyone by snapping Oklahoma’s 39-game home win streak.

Texas Tech hasn’t lost fourstraight conference games in Lubbock since 1984, and a win would make the Red Raiders bowl eligible for a 19th straight year.

Coach Tommy Tuberville knows his defense will be challenged by the Cowboys, who boast the nation’s second-best passing offense (387.5 yards a game) behind quarterback Brandon Weeden.

“He’s tall, big. He gets it, he’s accurate," Tuberville said. “And that’s the reason they’re 9-0. They know what they’re doing with the ball, and they keep their defense out of a bind.”

The Red Raiders need to find their offensive sting. Since leading 31-7 against Oklahoma last month, Texas Tech has scored only 37 points while allowing its opponents 124. Its defense, the thirdworst in the nation, allowed 439 rushing yards to Texas last week and 368 against the Cyclones a week earlier.

All that would be great news for the Cowboys but for one thing.

“Where they’ve had their issues is just those teams that mash you and run the ball, and that’s not us,” Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “So we have to find a way to, every week, be balanced in what we do and play better and not turn it over.”

The Cowboys have a top receiver (Justin Blackmon, 9.67 catches per game) and a top rusher (Joseph Randle, 101.6 yards per game) to help with that balance.

Photo by Stephen Spillman | AP

Texas Tech’s Seth Doege (7) throws under pressure from Iowa State’s Jake Knott (20) during a football game in Lubbock on Oct. 29.