The Zapata Times 12/06/08

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SATURDAY

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DECEMBER 6,2008

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Possible sex biz vexing BP agent By ZACH LINDSEY

“Maybe we can establish something so that we can have a say ... ”

THE ZAPATA TIMES

Reports that an adult-oriented business might set up shop in a residential area of Zapata appear to be just talk for now, but Zapata County commissioners are taking no chances. At their regular meeting Monday, Commissioners Court will discuss implementing measures that would control where such businesses could operate. Currently, there are no regula-

COUNTY COMMISSIONER JOE RATHMELL tions in place about adult-oriented businesses, a term that often refers to such enterprises as bookstores that sell sexually explicit material and lounges with topless dancers, euphemistically referred to as “gentlemen’s clubs.”

Zapata County Commissioner Joe Rathmell plans to present a proposal for controlling those businesses. “We don’t have a permit structure in place yet, so nobody necessarily needs to file anything to

get something open,” Rathmell said. “Maybe we can establish something so that we can have a say exactly where these kind of places are going to go up.” Rathmell hopes to be able to keep the businesses outside town limits. He said some local residents have contacted him with concerns about the possibility of an adult-oriented business opening in Zapata.

See SEX BIZ | PAGE 11A

charged in bribes By JASON BUCH THE ZAPATA TIMES

A Border Patrol agent stationed in Zapata has been arrested on charges that he took bribes to protect a shipment of cocaine. Agent Leonel Morales, 30, is accused of taking a $9,000 bribe to escort a load of cocaine in June or August of this year, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Houston. Morales has been with Border Patrol almost two years and has been stationed in Zapata County, where agents’ primary duties are to patrol the river-

Photos by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times

ABOVE: A Black Swallowtail stands on a flower. To its right is a Tropical Ermine Moth. BELOW: A Queen butterfly is seen on a Mule’s Fat flower.

THE ZAPATA TIMES

Zapata residents who can’t afford legal help will have the opportunity to have uncontested civil matters resolved at no cost starting next year. Private attorneys will donate their time at Social Justice Day Court, once every three months in the 49th District Court in Zapata, Judge Joe Lopez and representatives for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid announced this week. The court in Zapata sees a lot of pro se filings, or civil suits filed by parties who do not have legal representation, Lopez said. The social justice court will

FLIGHT Butterflies and plants are in rarefied air ByJULIAN AGUILAR

See BRIBERY | PAGE 11A

Zapatans get free legal aid By JASON BUCH

BEAUTY IN

banks and Falcon Lake, said Eugenio Rodriguez Jr., supervisory agent in charge of public affairs for the Laredo Sector. A grand jury in Houston indicted Morales on charges of bribery, possession of more than 5 kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute and conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, according to federal prosecutors. FBI agents arrested Morales without incident Wednesday at FBI offices in Laredo, said Norm Townsend, senior supervisory agent for the FBI in Laredo.

allow people involved in civil lawsuits, such as divorces, in which both sides are in agreement but need legal representation to dispose of their case, to get that representation, Lopez said. There are often problems when people prepare their own court documents or hire someone who is not a lawyer to do so, Lopez said. “What ends up happening inevitably is we do not get the cases, the cases are dismissed or the orders are unenforceable,” he said. Parties can contact RioGrande Legal Aid in Laredo to

See LEGAL | PAGE 11A

LAREDO MORNING TIMES

estled away within the serene confines of Falcon State Park in Starr County is something every plant and butterfly enthusiast should visit: a butterfly garden home to native species of both gifts of nature. The garden houses some of the most endangered plant life in Texas that, because of nature’s workings, means it also attracts some of the rarest butterflies found in the region.

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Sylvia Bruni is executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of LaredoWebb County.

Female butterflies Fran Bartle, the park’s volunteer bird and butterfly expert, said that because female butterflies stick to one particular plant when they lay their eggs, the plant must be found in the region if a butterfly zealot hopes to catch a glimpse of the insect. Even rare butterflies cannot be reared in captivity, she said. “The only thing you can do is make sure its host plant is available,” Bartle said. “Most butterflies are plant-specific — the female will lay eggs on only one certain type of plant. The caterpillar hatching from those eggs can only eat that one plant, if it tries to eat anything else it will die. Nature’s just that way.”

Rarities Some of the rarities found in the garden include the Telea Hairstreak, which Bartle said had not been confirmed in the country in more than 60 years when it was sighted in the garden in 2007. The butterfly’s host is the Chihuahuan Balloonvine, a rare plant native to South Texas currently on the verge of extinction. Through Bartle’s efforts, however, the butterfly garden now could be responsible for the re-emergence of the plant at the state park.

Laredo Morning Times file photo

Falcon State Park naturalist Frances Bartle holds a photograph of a rare moth she found and photographed as she stands in front of the butterfly garden she designed and maintains at the park in this Oct. 17 file photo. Another plant, the Capriara, was actually thought extinct until it resurfaced at the park in the 1990s, and the Damiana, which usually grows only in areas near the Rio Grande, also can be spotted at the butterfly garden. The Damiana brings with it the chance to see the Mexican Fritillary butterfly, which helps butterfly watchers add another name to the list of species they can brag about having seen. “The fritillary will come over and breed on this plant, (but) there are very few of these plants left,” Bartle said. “Many people keep lists, like many of the birders do; they keep lists of the but-

terflies. Well, they want as big of a list as they can get, so when they come to South Texas, if they want the Mexican Fritillary, they’ve got to come to a place that has the Damiana.”

Her treasure chest Bartle designed the garden herself and is available with her treasure chest of plant and butterfly knowledge to any of the park’s visitors, which she said includes people from all over the country and even some from as far away as England and Canada.

See BUTTERFLIES | PAGE 11A

Center helps the smallest victims By CHRISTINA ROSALES THE ZAPATA TIMES

Ten years ago, walking down the halls of the Laredo Police Department, there was no special unit that advocated and worked for the smallest and meekest victims of abuse. Homicide, assault, child abuse and robbery were together in one unit. All of the cases were treated the same. It was the way business was done — until the Children’s Advocacy Center of Laredo-Webb County, which also helps kids in Zapata County, got involved.

“When the advocacy center opened, it was a totally different way of doing investigations,” investigator Cordelia Perez said. “It was so much easier than what we were used to. That’s why CAC is a blessing. It really helps us out in our investigations, and I can tell you that because I worked with

See UNITED WAY | PAGE 11A


Zin brief

SATURDAY,DECEMBER 6,2008

AROUND THE NATION | IN BRIEF

WHAT’S GOING ON

FBI searching for drug gang leader

The annual San Ygnacio Historical Homes Tour event begins at 11:30 a.m. today with entertainment at Blas Maria Uribe Plaza. Tamale plates are $6 each; tickets for the tour, which is from 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., also are $6 each.

EL PASO — The FBI says it’s looking for a leader of a violent prison-based drug gang whose associates were convicted this week. FBI Special Agent Andrea Simmons said Friday that Eduardo “Tablas” Ravelo is wanted on federal racketeering, money laundering and drug charges. He’s considered a key leader of the Barrio Azteca gang in Ciudad Juarez, the violent border city across the Rio Grande from El Paso. Federal authorities have said Barrio Azteca has ties to the powerful Juarez cartel, which is in the midst of a bloody drug cartel war in Juarez that has claimed more than 1,400 lives this year.

MONDAY,DEC.8 Zapata County Commissioners meet at 9 a.m. today for their regular monthly meeting at the Zapata County Courthouse.

TUESDAY,DEC.9

WEDNESDAY,DEC.10 Texas Department of Transportation is having a public meeting on the Veleño Bridge realignment at the Community Center from 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.

THURSDAY,DEC.11 The 2008 Annual Zapata County Christmas Parade will begin at 6:30 p.m.on 17th Avenue, proceeding down to the Zapata County Court House, on Sixth Street and U.S.83.For more information,call 765-6931.

SATURDAY,DEC.13 A trail ride in memory of Raul “Tio” Flores will be held today at 9 a.m.starting at Laredo International Fair and Exposition Downs,off U.S.59,then going to the rest area before returning to the Downs.Registration is $20 and includes lunch. For more information, call George Jimenez at 744-2146. Norma’s Crystal & Silver Jewelry, 1706 Fresno St., will have a grand opening today from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Door prizes will be given away.

SUNDAY,DEC.14 The eighth annual San Carlos Mission Parade & Toy Drive is today. The event will consist of a Christmas trail ride and 5-mile parade and benefits the children of the San Carlos Mission.Registration will be from 9 a.m.– 10 a.m.The event starts at the corner of Texas 359 and Loop 20 in Laredo, east from the Conoco Pump & Shop, heading toward San Carlos Mission.Participants will drop toys off — two toys each — at Gregory’s Smart Start, 4019 San Dario Ave.; Kelly’s Western Wear, 4220 Santa Ursula Ave.; or One by One Cuts, 1901 San Bernardo Ave.For more information, call Rosy Gregory Castilleja at 744-7505.

TUESDAY,DEC.16 The Zapata County Independent School District will have a public hearing on the AEIS district report and campus report starting at 6 p.m. today at the Professional Development Center, 17th and Carla, followed by a meeting of the district’s Board of Trustees.

THURSDAY,DEC.18 The Juvenile Board meets today from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Zapata County Courthouse. Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts and The Laredo Ballet Theatre present “The Nutcracker”at the Laredo Civic Center Auditorium, 2400 San Bernardo Ave.Performances are scheduled for Dec. 18 at 9 a.m. ($4 group rate for 10 or more seats) and Dec. 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m., $7 general admission. For ticket information and reservations, call 795-3325 ext. 22 or 796-9923.

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SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of Laredo Morning Times and those who buy LMT at newstands.The Zapata Times is inserted inside. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, PO Box 2129, Laredo,Texas 78044. Phone (956)728-2500 The Zapata office is at 1309 N. US Highway 83 at 14th Avenue,Suite 2; Zapata,TX,78076.Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes@att.net

The Zapata Times

Photo by Paul Sakuma | AP

Bennie Rambin,who had his work hours cut way down in November, looks for a new job at JobTrain, a job training facility in Menlo Park, Calif., on Friday. Skittish employers slashed 533,000 jobs in November, the most in 34 years, catapulting the unemployment rate to 6.7 percent, dramatic proof the country is careening deeper into recession.

Employers cut 533K jobs in Nov., most in 34 years By JEANNINE AVERSA ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Skittish employers slashed 533,000 jobs in November, the most in 34 years, catapulting the unemployment rate to 6.7 percent, dramatic proof the country is careening deeper into recession. The new figures, released by the Labor Department on Friday, showed the crucial employment market deteriorating at an alarmingly rapid clip and handed Americans some more grim news right before the holidays. The net loss of more than a half-million jobs was far worse than analysts expected. As companies throttled back hiring, the unemployment rate bolted from 6.5 percent in October to 6.7 percent last month, a 15-year high. “These numbers are shocking,” said economist Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economics Advisors. “Companies are sharply re-

acting to the economy’s problems and slashing costs. They are not trying to ride it out.” The unemployment rate would have moved even higher if not for the exodus of 422,000 people from the work force. Economists said many of those people probably abandoned their job searches out of sheer frustration. In November 2007, the jobless rate was at 4.7 percent. The U.S. tipped into recession last December, a panel of experts declared earlier this week, confirming what many Americans already thought. Since the start of the recession, the economy has lost 1.9 million jobs, the number of unemployed people increased by 2.7 million and the jobless rate rose by 1.7 percentage points. More evidence the labor pain is far from over came Friday when General Motors Corp. said it will lay off another 2,000 workers as it cuts shifts at three car factories starting in February due to slowing demand for their products.

O.J.Simpson sentenced to Mass.man ticketed in Amnesia victim ‘H.M.,’who as many as 33 years gridlock while wife in labor shed light on brain,dies LAS VEGAS — A broken O.J. Simpson was sentenced Friday to as many as 33 years in prison for a hotel armed robbery after a judge rejected his apology and said, “It was much more than stupidity.” The 61-year-old football Hall of Famer stood shackled and stonefaced as Judge Jackie Glass rattled off the punishment. Moments before, Simpson made a rambling, five-minute plea for leniency, simultaneously apologizing for the holdup as a foolish mistake and trying to justify his actions. He choked back tears as he told her: “I didn’t want to steal anything from anyone. … I’m sorry, sorry.”

BOSTON — A man in Massachusetts is appealing a $100 ticket he got for driving to a hospital in the breakdown lane of a gridlocked Boston highway while his wife was in labor. The Boston Globe reports that a state trooper pulled over John Davis and his wife, Jennifer, for using the breakdown lane Nov. 18. The Dracut man says his wife’s contractions were three minutes apart. The couple say the trooper made them wait five to 10 minutes while he wrote a ticket for another car on Route 2, asked to see Jennifer’s belly to prove her pregnancy, then issued them a ticket.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Henry Molaison lived for decades with profound amnesia, but in death, he will be remembered for his groundbreaking contributions to understanding the brain. Molaison, who was known as Henry M. or H.M. in scientific studies, died Tuesday at a nursing home at the age of 82, said Suzanne Corkin, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who worked closely with him. Molaison participated in more than a half-century of research and hundreds of studies that shed light on learning and memory. —Compiled from AP reports

TODAY IN HISTORY ASSOCIATED PRESS

Today is Saturday, Dec. 6, the 341st day of 2008. There are 25 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Dec. 6, 1957, America’s first attempt at putting a satellite into orbit failed as Vanguard TV3 rose only about four feet off a Cape Canaveral, Fla., launch pad before crashing back down and exploding. On this date: In 1790, Congress moved to Philadelphia from New York. In 1889, Jefferson Davis, the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, died in New Orleans. In 1907, the worst mining disaster in U.S. history occurred as 362 men and boys died in a coal mine explosion in Monongah, W.Va., In 1922, the Irish Free State came into being under terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. In 1947, Everglades National Park in Florida was dedicated by President Harry S. Truman. In 1973, House minority leader Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as vice president, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew.

In 1982, 11 soldiers and six civilians were killed when an Irish National Liberation Army bomb exploded at a pub in Ballykelly, Northern Ireland. In 1989, 14 women were shot to death at the University of Montreal’s school of engineering by a man who then took his own life. Ten years ago: In Venezuela, former Lt. Col. Hugo Chavez, who’d staged a bloody coup attempt against the government six years earlier, was elected president. Endeavour’s astronauts connected the first two building blocks of the international space station in the shuttle cargo bay. Five years ago: A U.S. warplane in pursuit of a “known terrorist” attacked a village in eastern Afghanistan, mistakenly killing nine children. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld met with senior American commanders in Iraq and was assured that a recent switch to more aggressive anti-insurgency tactics had begun to pay off. One year ago: CIA Director Michael Hayden revealed the agency had videotaped its interrogations of two terror suspects

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AROUND TEXAS | IN BRIEF

SATURDAY,DEC.6

The American Cancer Society will have its “Look Good … Feel Better” program at the American Cancer Society office, 9114 McPherson Road, Suite 2520, in Laredo from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.This program is free and is for cancer patients undergoing treatment. Call to reserve a seat. For more information, call 723-9682. Three Zapata County Independent School District Board committees meet today at the Professional Development Center, 17th and Carla, starting at 6 p.m. The first is the Curriculum and Instruction, followed by Facilities and then Policy.

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Advocacy group wants to halt admissions AUSTIN — Advocates for the mentally disabled demanded Friday that Texas stop admissions to state institutions after a federal report found that patients were abused and mistreated in state care. The Department of Justice report released this week found at least 53 patients in Texas’ large residential facilities died in 2007 from preventable conditions “that are often the re-

sult of lapses in care.”

Legionnaires’disease bacteria found at UTMB GALVESTON — Patients at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston aren’t believed to be at great risk after the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease was discovered in the water system, officials said Friday. “We think the risk is phenomenally low. But we are being proactive in patient safety,” said Pamela Falk, director of health care epidemiology at UTMB, which is still reopening after being heavily damaged by Hurricane Ike.

Gov.Perry requests $300M for Ike temporary housing AUSTIN — Texas Gov. Rick Perry has requested $300 million in federal money to get temporary housing for victims of Hurricane Ike. Perry requested the money in a Nov. 26 letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. When Ike made landfall in September, it destroyed or flooded about 100,000 homes and left half a million people homeless in southeast Texas. —Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE WORLD | IN BRIEF

Photo by Mustafa Quraishi | AP

Police commandos keep a vigil at Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi,India,on Friday.A police official says security forces have swarmed through New Delhi’s international airport after the sound of gunfire rang out, but no one was injured. India’s top law enforcement official admitted Friday there were government “lapses” in last week’s terror attack on Mumbai, amid a public uproar over security and intelligence failures in the deadly siege.

Rice: ‘It’s well past time’ for Mugabe to leave

Robbers in drag get millions in Paris jewel theft

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday it is “well past time” for Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe to leave office as evidenced by the nation’s calamitous cholera epidemic and health care crisis. Rice said the country experienced “a sham election,” followed by a sham sharing of power. Speaking in the Danish capital on Friday, she said the current outbreak of cholera in the country should signal to the international community that it is time to stand up to Mugabe. “If this is not evidence to the international community to stand up for what is right, I don’t know what would be. And frankly, the nations of the region have to do it,” she said.

PARIS — Armed robbers — some disguised as women — snatched $108 million worth of diamond rings, necklaces and luxury watches from a Harry Winston boutique on a posh Paris avenue in one of the largest jewel heists in history, officials said Friday. The gang of three or four robbers threatened about 15 employees with handguns and hit some on the head before taking the jewels from display cases from the store near the ChampsElysées, said a police official not authorized to be publicly named under agency policy. At least two of the bandits were men wearing wigs and women’s clothes, the official said. —Compiled from AP reports

JEFFERSON PEACE MEDAL in 2002 and destroyed the tapes three years later out of fear they would leak to the public and compromise the identities of U.S. questioners. Today’s Birthdays: Jazz musician Dave Brubeck is 88. Comedy performer David Ossman is 72. Country singer Helen Cornelius is 67. Actor James Naughton is 63. Rhythm-andblues singer Frankie Beverly (Maze) is 62. Former Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., is 60. Actress JoBeth Williams is 60. Actor Tom Hulce is 55. Actor Kin Shriner is 55. Talk show host Wil Shriner is 55. Rock musician Peter Buck (R.E.M.) is 52. Rock musician David Lovering (Pixies) is 47. Actress Janine Turner is 46. Rock musician Ben Watt (Everything But The Girl) is 46. Writer-director Judd Apatow is 41. Rock musician Ulf “Buddha” Ekberg (Ace of Base) is 38. Writer-director Craig Brewer is 37. Actress Colleen Haskell is 32. Actress Lindsay Price is 32. Thought for Today: “Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.” — William Butler Yeats, Irish Nobel Prize-winning poet (1865-1939).

Photo by American Museum of Natural History | AP

This undated image provided by the American Museum of Natural History shows an 1801 silver Jefferson Peace Medal.Though the medal’s provenance isn’t ironclad, Allen Pinkham,a member of the Nez Perce tribe,and some historians believe it may have been given by explorers Lewis and Clark to Pinkham’s great-great-greatgreat uncle, a Nez Perce leader named Cut Nose, on May 6, 1806, as they trekked through present-day Idaho. Pinkham would like the medal returned to his tribe.


Zlocal

SATURDAY,DECEMBER 6,2008

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

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Guerrero Viejo focus of 2 events SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Photo by Eugene George/Webb County Heritage Foundation | The Zapata Times

This photo taken Aug. 18, 1983, shows goats wandering through the remains of the Church of Nuestra Señora del Refugio in Guerrero Viejo on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande.The ruins of the old city, which was inundated when Falcon Lake was created in 1953, occasionally are visible when the lake level drops. In times of severe drought, visitors can actually walk through some of the old buildings.

Just in time for the holidays, the Webb County Heritage Foundation and the Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society are teaming up to present two evenings of historical and cultural reminiscence on Old Guerrero. On Wednesday, Dec. 10, the public is invited to attend a talk on the “History of Guerrero Viejo” by Carlos Rugerio Cazares, director of the Archivo General del Estado de Tamaulipas, Mexico. This talk will be followed by an update on the work being done to preserve the historical archives of Guerero Viejo by local historian, Carlos Cuellar of Texas A&M International University. The Wednesday presentations will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Casa Ortiz, 915 Zaragoza St. The next evening, Thursday, Dec. 11, will feature a book-signing and reception for the exhibit “Guerrero Viejo Revealed,” showcasing photography by Everardo Castro Medellin and W. Eugene George, to be held at the Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St. The Thursday event begins at 6 p.m. Everardo Castro Medellin, an avid photographer, is a geophysicist with Petróleos Mexicanos. His favorite subject is architecture, both natural and man-made. Castro’s photographs have been shown in Austin, Nueva Ciudad

“We’re delighted to collaborate with the Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society to present these two evenings of such historical significance for so many residents of South Texas whose ancestors bear a connection to Guerrero Viejo.” WEBB COUNTY HERITAGE FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARGARITA ARAIZA Guerrero and Reynosa. Eugene George is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects renowned for his studies of Texas-Mexican border historic architecture and preservation. His book, “The Lost Architecture of the Rio Grande Borderlands: The Tragedy of the Falcón Reservoir,” from Texas A&M University Press, will be featured at the book-signing. “We’re delighted to collaborate with the Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society to present these two evenings of such historical significance for so many residents of South Texas whose ancestors bear a connection to Guerrero Viejo,” said Margarita Araiza, executive director of the Webb County Heritage Foundation. “In addition, the book-signing will afford an

opportunity to meet the photographers and purchase a very unique holiday gift.” Guerrero Viejo, formerly known as Revilla, was one of the five northernmost settlements established by José de Escandón in Nuevo Santander, one of the last northern provinces of New Spain during the 18th century. Revilla, founded in 1750, was renamed Ciudad Guerrero in 1827 in honor of Vicente Guerrero, a hero of Mexican independence. In 1953, Guerrero Viejo was flooded by completion of the International Falcon Reservoir. When the reservoir waters recede, as they do periodically, the beautiful stone structures of Guerrero Viejo reveal themselves again. For more information, contact the Webb County Heritage Foundation at (956) 727-0977 or heritage@webbheritage.org.

THE BLOTTER AGGRAVATED ASSAULT A female juvenile was arrested Nov. 28 on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to the offense report, the girl attempted to run over two other female juveniles with a vehicle at about 1 p.m. near the intersection of 10th Street and Medina Avenue. A man from the 800 block of Laredo Avenue told police at about 2 p.m. Nov. 28 that a person hit him with a branch and then threatened to go home, grab a gun and kill him. The man identified the alleged offender, who’s possibly wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and terroristic threats. According to the offense report, the case is open and active. Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man Sunday on the charge of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. Jorge Luis Prezaz Jr. was later booked and processed at the regional jail. According to the offense report, Prezaz assaulted the victim with an unknown object at about 3 a.m. near the intersection of Miraflores and Seventh streets. The report stated that the victim sus-

tained a laceration on the left side of his head as a result of the assault.

ASSAULT Authorities responded to a residence Nov.27 in the 1900 block of Elm Street after a woman reported a disturbance involving a drunken man with a gun. Upon arrival at the residence at about 10:10 p.m., sheriff’s deputies arrested Andres Fraire Jr., 39, on the charge of assault causing bodily injury (family violence), a Class-A misdemeanor. He was later booked and processed at the regional jail. Sheriff’s deputies arrested a woman Nov. 26 in the 1500 block of Villa Avenue after she got into a fight with her sister, authorities said. Diana I. Cuellar, 17, was booked and charged with assault causing bodily injury (family violence), a Class-A misdemeanor. She was later taken to county jail. According to the offense report, deputies responded to the Villa Avenue residence at about 12:30 p.m. after a woman who lives at the home called 911 reporting a domestic disturbance. A man was arrested at about 2 a.m. Nov. 29 after deputies responded to a do-

mestic disturbance at a residence in the 5400 block of Sean Lane. Upon arrival, deputies arrested Arturo Dia Rodriguez on the charge of assault (family violence), a Class-A misdemeanor. He was later booked and processed at the regional jail.

POSSESSION OFA CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE Authorities arrested a man Nov. 29 near the intersection of Ninth Avenue and Fresno Street on the charge of possession of cocaine. Leonel Manuel Martinez was booked and processed at about 1 a.m. at the regional jail.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION A man was charged with public intoxication at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday near Park Drive and U.S. 83. Roberto Banda was taken to county jail for his safety and the safety of others,the offense report stated.

AUTO THEFT Avehicle was reported stolen Sunday from the 1500 block of First Street. The female complainant told authorities about the theft at approximately 9:20 a.m.

BURGLARY OFAVEHICLE A vehicle was reported burglarized Wednesday in the 1300 block of Diaz Avenue. According to the offense report, the

male complainant told deputies that several documents were stolen from the vehicle. The case is open and active, the report stated. A vehicle was reported burglarized Nov. 27 in the 1800 block of First Street. The female complainant, who called police at about 7:15 a.m., told them a Canon DVD camcorder was stolen from the vehicle. According to the offense report, the case is open and active.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a burglarized vehicle report Nov. 27 in the 2200 block of Hidalgo Boulevard. The male complainant told deputies about the theft at approximately 3:30 p.m. Carmen Ramirez - Rathmell, D.D.S.

“Let your smile be a sign of happiness & good health”

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Zopinion

SATURDAY,DECEMBER 6,2008

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

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OTHER VIEWS

EDITORIAL

This inauguration is for the people NEW YORK TIMES

he inauguration of Barack Obama already feels refreshing for at least two new twists. The first is the presidentelect’s order to ratchet back severely on the special-interest money that traditionally floats Washington’s panoply of victory celebrations. Planners have barred lobbyists, corporations, political action committees and well-heeled foreigners from making their usual down payments on access to the new administration. The other encouragement is the stroke of generosity by which a Virginia businessman is spending more than $1 million to rent prime hotel rooms and promising that assorted down-and-out citizens — from the poor to the terminally ill to wounded soldiers — will have a perch of privilege on Pennsylvania Avenue for the parade. The Capraesque gesture — dubbed “The People’s Inauguration” replete with two gala balls — is the gift of Earl Stafford, a 60year-old Air Force retiree who

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made a fortune founding a military technology company. Stafford is picking up the tab for three nights with meals at the hotel for scores of the normally uninvited and overlooked. He’s even promising gown, tuxedo and hair-dresser costs for those most in need. “We just need to get back to caring about one another,” Stafford told The Washington Post, paraphrasing the Bible: “To whom much is given, much is required.” Stafford is one-upping Obama inaugural vows to “open this up to the public.” It’s heartening to contemplate a few of Washington’s steam-grate hoboes partying spiffy as expense-account insiders. For the official partying, Obama set an individual’s maximum contribution at $50,000, a fifth of the last Bush inaugural. It remains to be seen how much Obama’s campaign army of Internet donors might subsidize festivities that most are not likely to be attending. But the urge for change — at least in the ways Washington parties on — is taking shape.

COLUMN

COLUMN

Civilized world The fine joys of unexpected snowfall lets terrorists win H ROBERTKELLY-GOSS A By ROBERT KELLY-GOSS COX NEWS SERVICE

By JAY BOOKMAN

COX NEWS SERVICE

TLANTA - Every time terrorists strike, the civilized world vows not to let them win. Yet time after time, we give them exactly the victory they seek. In the Middle East, Palestinian terrorists have attacked repeatedly in hopes of disrupting peace efforts; time after time, they’ve gotten their way. In the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden made it clear that he was trying to provoke the United States into an overreaction; by invading Iraq, an oil-rich Islamic country that had nothing to do with 9/11, we gave him just what he wanted. Iraq became a great recruiting tool and rallying point for al-Qaida.

Deny victory So it’s pretty simple: If you want to deny victory to terrorists, you figure out what they’re trying to get you to do. Then you don’t do it. But given the emotional impact of terrorism, that can be extraordinarily hard, as the people of India know. The goal of the terrorists who attacked Mumbai last week was not to kill hundreds of victims. “Victims are just the language of war,” as Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, the mastermind of Sept. 11, told his captors. Muhammad and other terrorists are engaged in “asymetric warfare,” in which a much weaker party faces a much stronger opponent. Unable to win a head-on struggle, the weaker party tries to provoke its opponent into reacting in anger or fear, an overreaction that weakens it in the eyes of the world, reduces its legitimacy and makes it vulnerable. To the Mumbai terrorists, those many dead innocents were a means of achieving their goal, which was to undermine relations between Pakistan and India and provoke the two nuclear-armed nations to war. The world is now trying ensure that rising anger in India — anger that is natural and justified — doesn’t give the murderers what they sought. Ironically, one of the best lessons about how to respond to terrorism can be drawn from a seemingly unlikely source, the career of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In his own, very different form of asymetric warfare, he too tried to provoke his more powerful opponents into an overreaction that would weaken them, with the very important moral difference that King chose to provoke through nonviolence. And as King discovered, some

foes are too smart to play along. In 1962, King was drawn into the struggle to desegregate the town of Albany, Ga. He led protests and marches, trying to provoke local officials into an overreaction that would reverse the power dynamic. But the Albany sheriff, Laurie Pritchett, had studied King’s tactics and refused to give King what he sought. As Pritchett later explained, he met nonviolence with nonviolence. King would organize mass demonstrations; Pritchett’s deputies would arrest the demonstrators, but they would do so calmly and professionally. King and his lieutenants would get themselves arrested, hoping to become high-profile martyrs; Pritchett would secretly arrange to let them go. “I’ve been thrown out of a lot of places in my day, but never before have I been thrown out of jail,” King’s assistant, the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy Jr., complained after his release. Through patience, Pritchett denied King the images of brutal repression that could be broadcast worldwide by the media, images that would build sympathy for the underdog. Frustrated, King left Albany with segregation still in place. But a year later in Birmingham, King met a more cooperative foe in Police Commissioner Bull Connor. When demonstrators marched, Connor responded just as King hoped, with firehoses and nightsticks and police dogs sicced upon children. The images out of Birmingham of the strong attacking the weak horrified the nation and forced federal intervention. Within days, legal segregation in Birmingham was ended forever. The weak had beaten the strong. “We were witnessing police violence and brutality Birminghamstyle,” as John Lewis put it. “Unfortunately for Bull Connor, so was the rest of the world.”

Death to terrorists Military force is a legitimate and necessary tool to defend ourselves and loved ones. When we can find terrorists, we should kill them, and where possible we should deny them sanctuary. But it is important to remember that the civilized world is far stronger than they are. Whatever power they have is power that we give them through the anger and fear we allow them to provoke. It’s hard to cite a segregationist sheriff as a role model, but Laurie Pritchett had it figured out. (To reach Jay Bookman, deputy editorial page editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, email jbookman@ajc.com)

alf awake in my bed I heard the thumping of footy-padded footsteps running down the stairs. The whispers were barely audible, just enough to make me open my eyes slightly, suspecting something was afoot; little people were on the prowl. “Do you see it,” one of them whispered to the other two. “Yeah. It looks like snow,” she answered her brother in a hushed voice. Shuffle, thump, bump; three little bodies, all dressed in footed pajamas, ran to my bedroom window. “Snow!” And three of them, the little ones as I call them, were now looking out onto the front lawn as large, wet snowflakes crowded the sky, drifting rapidly to the ground, collecting on the grass and whetting their appetite for winter. I opened my eyes wider and couldn’t believe what I was see-

ing. I’d heard that the weather experts were predicting flurries for the evening, but this was a downright snowfall. And although I knew, seeing as we live amidst swamps, marsh and brackish sounds at sea level, it would only last a short while, snow falling on blue days that bring more news of difficult times seems to white wash it all away. The little ones are older now and breakfast must come before rushing outdoors. That’s their decision and so after bowls of cereal — something quick, of course — clothes were donned, socks replaced gloves that couldn’t be found and we were out the door. Even their older sister, who

would rather sleep than be bothered early in the morning, found enough joy in the large flakes drifting to the ground, to throw a jacket over her pajamas. So with the dogs on leashes, it was time for a morning walk. Around the neighborhood signs of children were everywhere. While my oldest and I tethered dogs, the little ones scrambled about every patch of snow, building a stash of frozen gold in their arms. Down the block, round the corner, we strolled, meandered, laughed and shrieked with delight. Even the drivers of passing cars grinned broadly at the sight of children rustling through the snow. And when the sky is full of large white flecks drifting gingerly to the ground, thoughts of anything, everything, seem to drift away. There can be only one moment that matters and that is each moment captured as those flakes fall and a child’s tongue catches it, proclaiming that surely that one was bigger and tastier than the last one.

But all great moments must come to an end. Soon the snowfall abated and children took to the inside of the house, seeking refuge from what had turned to mud. My youngest daughter, for a moment or two, mourned the short-lived glory of an unexpected snowfall. Her blues got the better of the white stuff that had filled her heart with glee only minutes before. For me it was a surprising retreat from the work-a-day schedule, a chance to break out and be childlike too. It was a break from the day that lay waiting for me; the hours spent thinking about the world and its weighty concerns. But even as I sat restless in my chair throughout the day, working on this, that and the other, I could see large flakes in my mind, and smiles so bright and hear the giggles and shrieks of joy of snow falling on blue days. (Reach Robert Kelly-Goss, who writes for The Daily Advance in Elizabeth City, N.C., at rkelly-goss@coxnc.com)

YOUR OPINION Area deer hunters have opportunity to help feed the hungry this season To the editor: I want to wish my fellow hunters a safe and successful deer hunting season. Game appears to be plentiful due to an above average rainfall all around the area. I would also ask all hunters to join in a state-wide wild game donation program called Hunters for the Hungry. This program has been around for several years and in light of our economic situation is needed more than ever. This program seeks to alleviate hunger and

malnutrition in Texas, provide a meaningful outlet for hunters wishing to help their communities, and promote stewardship of the environment through sensible wild life management plans. The only meat processor in Laredo cooperating with this humanitarian program is Ruiz Custom Meats at 2119 Lyon Street here in Laredo. Their number is 724-3013 and my friend Robert Ruiz tells me that they charge a nominal fee of $50 to cover basic processing

costs. They grind the venison into burger, package it and store it for local food assistance providers to pick up. The hunter is asked to bring his tagged legally harvested deer to this location and is provided a receipt. All meat donated to this fine program is distributed to families and individuals in need through local food assistance providers such as food banks, food pantries, etc. to help the thousands of local needy individuals in the barrios and colo-

nias of Webb County. This is a wonderful opportunity for local land owners and hunters to manage their deer population and help the less fortunate and hungry in and around Webb County in the middle of our severe economic situation. The local deer season runs through late January and will go a long way in preventing hunger and malnutrition for those in need. Signed, David Almaraz

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Zlife

SATURDAY,DECEMBER 6,2008

MISS MANNERS | BYJUDITH MARTIN

Students need lesson in civility DEAR MISS MANNERS — I have just started law school, where professionalism is part of the education. At this point, I would be grateful just for respect and common courtesy. The trouble arises in one class where there are no assigned seats. One of my classmates saves a seat for MARTIN her friend. The first time, I acquiesced. The second time, I put my hands on the chair before sitting down and said I was going to sit there, whereupon she snatched it away, saying I wasn’t. The third time, when I announced my intention to sit next to her she piled all of her possessions onto it. I am at a loss as to how to respond to such immature behavior. As an aside, the first two times her friend could have just as easily sat on her other side. The friend suggested that we consult our professor, but he declined to become involved other than as a last resort. GENTLE READER — What are you two doing in law school? Your idea of conflict resolution is tug o’ war and run tattling to Teacher. Please remind Miss Manners never to hire either of you to represent her. In the interest of relieving your understandably exasperated professor, she will explain briefly how civilized societies are regulated. Rules, customs and laws are designed to make them run smoothly and, with any luck, justly and even gracefully. Etiquette

governs the minor rules and customs, just as law governs the laws. However, in contrast to law, which has the power to fine or confine violators, etiquette requires voluntary compliance, and violating it incurs only disapproval and exclusion. So why should anyone comply? You and the other student might have done so to avoid disapproval: enmity toward each other, the possible annoyance of other students who heard you quarreling, and the likely irritation of your professor as he declined to become involved. For the sake of the profession you have both chosen, you should also adhere to the belief that trivial matters should be settled without recourse to the awful majesty of the law. Instead, you both chose to pursue a questionable dispute over a chair, and to do so rudely. Saving a seat is usually countenanced, provided one does not try to save a large number of them, or to allow late arrivals who disrupt things. In any case, trying to do so is not an act of war. The conflict could have been handled politely, with your asking, “Do you mind if I sit here?” and her saying, “I’m sorry, I promised to save this for my friend” — and resolved in your favor by your arriving early for the next class and taking whatever seat you chose. DEAR MISS MANNERS — My friend and I were discussing what a proper lady would carry in her purse. Since we cannot come to an agreement, could you help us? GENTLE READER — A clean handkerchief and enough money to get home if she needs to use the handkerchief because she has been taken ill or made to cry.

Finding the perfect present for every person on your list By KIRSTEN CROW LAREDO MORNING TIMES

ith 18 days and counting till Christmas, and an uncertain future in the economy, consumers are looking for more than just the average gift this holiday season. While past years may have seen splurge spending that is scarce this time around, it doesn’t mean shoppers aren’t on the hunt for that perfect gift for that special someone. Rather, many are keeping an eye out for the gift that truly fits its recipient at a price that’s right. From the classic and the unique to the high-end, do-it-yourself and altruistic, here are a few ideas for what might be found beneath the tree come Dec. 25. For the fashion-forward, accessories, curios and novelty items — as long as they’re stylish — are

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always welcome. To get a taste of what’s what in haute couture, Joe Brand and Polly Adams are good places to start: From clothing to jewelry to knickknacks and the luxurious, there’s a wide selection of gift ideas. Some of the most sought-after this year include Tory Burch handbags and wallets, available at Joe Brand for $195 to $275. And while Tory Burch has its followers, for others, nothing is hotter than Ed Hardy, and Joe Brand’s also the spot where the fashionista wine enthusiasts can indulge in some vino while sipping it from a collectible Ed Hardy-designed bottle. For something a little more offbeat, Polly Adams also has great stocking stuffers. Bracelets ($16) and necklaces ($33-$51) made by

See GIFTWRAP | PAGE 6A Photos by Laredo Morning Times

Pictured, top to bottom: A Noa men’s watch, available at Joe Brand, $1,695; a costume jeweled cuff bracelet, available at Casa Guero, $22; the WowWee FlyTech RC Dragonfly, $39.99 (photo provided by Radio Shack); the Mio Moov 500 Portable GPS Receiver, $249.99 (photo provided by Radio Shack); a Tory Burch wallet, available at Joe Brand, $195; and a vintage Sheila Falj Zodiac necklace, available at Polly Adams, $33-$51.

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6A | THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2008

Photos by Laredo Morning Times

This gold-sheen skull tote has the feel of an Ed Hardy design at a fraction of the price. It is available for $23.50 at Casa Guero.

This patterned canvas Tory Burch tote is $275 at Joe Brand.

GIFT WRAP | Continued from Page 5 Sheila Fajl depicting Zodiac signs are particularly popular this year, said Lolita Mounetou, buyer for the boutique. “They’re all vintage coins,” she said. “And it’s all about the Zodiac and the signs right now.” Of course, there’s always kitsch costume jewelry chic. If that fashionable so-and-so is more interested in some of the funkier styles, Casa Guero has a large selection of affordable costume jewelry, from chunky bracelets to dazzling, sparkling cuffs at very affordable prices, ranging from $4 to $22. There are also some snazzy bags that have the flair and feel of an Ed Hardy look at just a fraction of the price: $23.50 to $35.

The classic They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but many fine jewelers will tell you what it really is: classic. Tad Deutsch, of Deutsch & Deutsch, said the store’s selection of fine watches, jewelry and handbags offer something many consider priceless — items that never go out of fashion. “You’ll have something that

will last forever,” he said. “(These items) are something that has held its value, even through these hard times.”

The gadgets As has been the trend the last 10 years, giving the gift of technology can serve both as a practical item, as well as the equivalent of a “big kid” toy. At Radio Shack, some of the more useful offerings this year include digital converter boxes — which will be necessary for all analog television sets to receive channels starting in February — priced at $59.99, or $19.99 with tax, if a government coupon is presented. Another good choice is a GPS navigation system, which is great for the directionally deficient and drivers who would rather remain lost than ask for directions. Prices vary, depending on the features. On the less practical but far more fun side of the spectrum, Radio Shack also has a hot toy this year, which, while advertised as “entertaining for kids ages 8 and up,” also has kid-at-heart appeal: the WowWee Fly Tech RC

Dragonfly, priced at $39.99. This lightweight, remote-controlled buzzer can “flutter, soar, divebomb and glide,” according to the corporate Web site.

The altruistic For someone that really does have everything, the South Texas Food Bank offers an “adopt a family” program and is encouraging it to be given as a gift, said Salo Otero, director of development of the food bank. Created by the organization’s executive director, Alfredo Castillo, the program offers the community-minded a chance to adopt a needy family for a $120 donation, which provides them with one box full of groceries per month for one year. There are currently 680 families participating in the program, but nearly 700 remain on the waiting list, Otero said. “To us, it’s a gift that keeps on giving,” he said. “A lot of people during the holidays say they want to give people food for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and we have those, for $10 (per box). But we suggest to people, ‘You know, what

about a gift that’s every month?’”

The do-it-yourself Domestic guru Heloise, a nationally syndicated columnist published daily in Laredo Morning Times, said it doesn’t take big bucks to provide a real present. Among her suggestions, the San Antonio-based writer said a handmade gift card — redeemable for time-oriented items such as washing the car once a month, babysitting or just making a “date” with a relative — are always popular and well-received. Also popular are “memory boxes,” where the giver fills a jar or box with memorabilia or handwritten remembrances on scraps of paper about the receiver. “Even if it is a heart hint or memory hint, that will last far longer than a new sweater or bottle of cologne,” Heloise said. “A gift from the heart or hand, frankly, will mean more than something from the store — but keep in mind what the receiver wants or needs.” (Kirsten Crow may be reached at 728-2543 or by e-mail at kirsten@lmtonline.com)

These brown lizard skin men’s Lucchese boots are available at Joe Brand for $455.


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SATURDAY,DECEMBER 6,2008

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ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFS SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

NavidadFest

Courtesy photo

T.I., one of today’s best-known and well-regarded hip-hop performers, is scheduled for a concert at the Laredo Entertainment Center on Jan. 4.

T.I. to ‘Bring ’Em Out’ SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

The Laredo Entertainment Center, Global Groove London and Border Media’s Hot 106.1 announced Wednesday the anticipated arrival of the biggest hip-hop artist today: T.I., who is scheduled to perform Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009, at 7 p.m. to an expected crowd of more than 7,000 screaming fans. Tickets go on sale Saturday at the LEC box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. Ticket prices are $75, $55 and $35, with a special holiday buy-one, get-onefree offer available for one day only. All tickets, except the first five rows, will be available in this buy-one, get-one-free special Saturday at the LEC box office starting at 10 a.m. Also, anyone who brings a new toy for the Toys for Tots program will be eligible to register to win a “meet and greet” for two with T.I. All donations will benefit Laredo children. According to his official Web site, T.I. — born Clifford Harris Jr. — is a father, astute businessman, fashion icon, “King of the South,” future Hollywood

A-Lister and hip-hop standard bearer. The Atlanta native has received critical acclaim for his work, and his most recent rap album, “Paper Trail,” has been getting plenty of play due to its hit single, “Whatever You Like.” T.I. was once known as Tip, the name he’s had since he was a child. When he signed his first record deal with Arista Records, he had to drop the ‘P’ and switch to T.I. because the label was also home to the more established MC at the time, Q-Tip. Since his 2001 debut LP, “I’m Serious,” T.I.’s fan base and record sales have increased with each album, and the critical accolades have continued to flow as well. His hard work and consistency was finally recognized with the most high-profile nods of praise in his career with a pair of Grammy Awards for Best Rap Solo Performance, “What You Know,” and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, “My Love” with Justin Timberlake. T.I. is well-known for his work with Timberlake and with other accomplished artists, such as Rihanna, Jay-Z, Usher and Britney Spears.

“Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, riding down Santa Claus Lane.” Actually, it will be San Bernardo Avenue, but after joining his helpers in the parade that kicks off NavidadFest today, the jolly old guy in the red suit will join Mayor Raul G. Salinas to officially “flip the switch” at this year’s tree lighting ceremony in San Agustin Plaza. The revelry will begin at 4 p.m. with a parade and performances for the community. The parade, featuring Laredo Independent School District and United ISD dance and cheer groups, countless floats, mounted patrols, motorcycles, cars and, of course, that famous Z-93/Guerra Communication Sleigh carrying Santa Claus and Salinas, will wind down San Bernardo Avenue, starting at the Laredo Chamber of Commerce, and end at the Mercadito Plaza on Hidalgo Street. The official tree-lighting will be at 6:30 p.m. At 7 p.m., the “Pastorela,” a traditional Mexican holiday play that kicks off the re-enactment of Mary and Joseph’s journey to find lodging for the night, will be shown. A posada following the theatrical performance will lead back to the Mercadito Plaza to the Laredo Center for the Arts, where performances by Vidal M. Treviño School of Fine Arts and Communications students, including a sample of “The Nutcracker” ballet, will be offered inside their facility. LCA will also feature an art display by students from the United Day School art department, as well as an ongoing silent auction of more than 50 beautifully decorated piñatas created by students from their art camps, as well as students from the Bethany House. Entrance to NavidadFest is free.

‘Holiday Music Magic’ Before the holiday rush wears you out, treat the family to the new show “Holiday Music Magic”

at the TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium. The show, keyed to holiday music, opens today in an evening full of fun that includes a visit from Santa Claus and a performance by the United South Middle School Choir. The program will be shown at 6 and 8 p.m. The United South Middle School Choir is scheduled to perform at 5:30 p.m., and from 6 to 8 p.m., visitors will have the opportunity to take their picture with Saint Nick for $2. Also showing at the planetarium is “Season of Light,” which will be presented at 5 and 7 p.m. “ ‘Season of Light’ is a show that visitors can enjoy not just once, but every year. I’ve seen this show countless times, and I am still moved by its message,” Pérez said. General admission tickets are $5, and $4 for children and TAMIU students, faculty, staff

and alumni. Season tickets are also available starting at $35.

‘Messiah and More’ Enjoy the sounds of the season at “Messiah and More” on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Laredo Community College Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center. Admission is free and open to the public. The concert is offered by the Laredo Philharmonic Chorale and the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra. The program for “Messiah and More” includes G.F. Handel’s “Messiah” (Christmas portion only); “Sleigh Ride,” by Leroy Anderson; “Many Moods of Christmas,” arranged by Robert Shaw; “Angels Carol,” by John Rutter; “Hodie Christus natus est” (“Today Christ is born”), by Giovanni Gabrieli; and “Jamaican Carol.”


ZFrontera

SÁBADO 6 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2008

Para informar acerca de eventos y actividades envíe el nombre, fecha, hora y dirección, y un número de contacto a tiempo@lmtonline.com

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Eventos invitan a conocer más sobre Guerrero Viejo

AGENDAEN BREVE LAREDO — Pase la tarde del sábado 6 de diciembre en el Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de Texas A&M International University y explore “Season of Light”a las 5 p.m. y 7 p.m., así como “Holiday Music Magis” a las 6 p.m. La entrada general es de 5 dólares, en tanto que niños, estudiantes, personal y ex alumnos de TAMIU pagan 4 dólares. Más información llamando al 326.2444. NUEVO LAREDO — Concierto Navideño 2008 presenta a la Orquesta Sinfónica de la UANLbajo la dirección de Félix Carrasco, así como la presentación estelar del violinista concertista Gernot Winischhofer,el sábado 6 de diciembre a las 7 p.m.en el teatro principal del Centro Cultural Nuevo Laredo.El costo es de 50 pesos (3.66 dólares). Puede adquirir su boleto en Sala de Música Talamás y en la taquilla del CCNL el día del evento. LAREDO — La Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra junto con el Laredo Philharmonic Chorale presentan “Messiah and More” en el teatro Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center del Laredo Community College a las 3 p.m. del domingo 7 de noviembre. Más información llamando al (956) 326-3039. LAREDO — Texas A&M International University presenta “Guitarras de Navidad”, el concierto anual de guitarra navideña el domingo 7 de diciembre a las 4 p.m. en el Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall.El evento es gratuito y abierto al público en general. Más información llamando al (956) 326-3046. LAREDO — Cumpliendo 15 años de tradición, la Compañía de Ballet Laredo presenta The Nutckacker (El Cascanueces) de Piotr Illich Tchaikovsky, el domingo 7 de diciembre a las 5 p.m. en el Laredo Civic Center. El Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de Texas A&M International University presenta la 2008 Young Dancer Christmas Program,el viernes 12 de diciembre a las 7 p.m. en el CFPA Recital Hall. El programa presentará a todos los estudiantes del Programa de Danza Juvenil,en edades de 2 a 60 años y del Ballet Folklórico Juvenil. El evento es gratuito y abierto al público.

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ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Fotos de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas

El Gobernador del Estado, Eugenio Hernández Flores, rindió su Cuarto Informe de Gobierno el domingo 30 de noviembre en Tampico.

Gobernardor entrega informe ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

AMPICO, México — Al rendir su mensaje a la ciudadanía tamaulipeca en ocasión de su Cuarto Informe de Gobierno, el gobernador Eugenio Hernández Flores definió a la eficiencia, capital humano, desarrollo empresarial e infraestructura como los cuatro grandes ejes centrales de su administración que se reflejan, gracias a la visión de un pueblo unido, en una inversión sin precedente, un desarrollo social que hace historia y un avance sustancial en la competitividad. Tras comparecer ante el Honorable Congreso Local en la ceremonia de entrega del documento oficial en cumplimiento del mandato constitucional, el domingo 30 de noviembre, Hernández Flores pormenorizó ante representantes de la sociedad y autoridades de los tres órdenes de gobierno las acciones que en conjunto con municipios y Federación permiten a Tamaulipas avanzar hasta ser el Estado número uno en inversión para infraestructura, el segundo en condiciones ideales para la captación de capitales y ubicarse a sólo cuatro puntos del primer lugar en la Estrategia Nacional Caminando a la Excelencia. Al tocar el tema de la crisis, dijo que “Nos preparamos sin esperar el anuncio de tiempos mejores y nos fortalecemos con nuestras convicciones para vencer la adversidad”. Sobre la inseguridad envió un recado al Presidente de México, Felipe Calderón, diciendo que “los tamaulipecos valoramos su determinación en esta lucha por la seguridad y su voluntad para restablecer la tranquilidad”. Fueron once puntos fundamentales los que en-

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marcados en el Programa Estatal de Infraestructura 2008-2010, que significa una inversión global de 48 mil 700 millones de pesos y que ya ha iniciado más de 200 obras: Dos nuevos cruces internacionales en marcha. Dos nuevos ejes carreteros en marcha. Inversión sin precedente en el medio rural y Caminos del Campo. Un nuevo puerto de altura en la zona norte. La obra hidráulica más importante de la historia. Un crecimiento como nunca en la infraestructura de salud. Las mayores obras detonantes del turismo. Impulso record al desarrollo científico y tecnológico. Ubicación como primer Estado en crear la educación bilingüe. El Estado número uno en eficiencia gubernamental. Consolidación como la fortaleza alimentaria de México. En forma específica, Hernández Flores citó avances como la modernización del 65 por ciento de los ejes carreteros; la modernización de puentes internacionales; la construcción del Parque Emblemático “El Cielo” y la cristalización del proyecto “La Pesca”; producciones record en granos, cítricos y ganadería, así como el programa Caminos del Campo; un impulso a la red hospitalaria y atención médica, coberturas de casi el 100 por ciento en servicios básicos; depuración y equipamiento de corporaciones policíacas y acciones en los programas de atención del DIF.

Justo en tiempo para las navidades, el Webb County Heritage Foundation y el Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society se están uniendo para presentar dos tardes de recuerdos histórico y cultural sobre Guerrero Viejo. El miércoles 10 de diciembre, el público está invitado a asistir a la plática sobre “Historia de Guerrero Viejo” de Carlos Rugerio Cazares, director del Archivo General del Estado de Tamaulipas. Esta plática será seguida por una actualización sobre el trabajo que está realizando para preservar los archivos históricos de Guerrero Viejo el historiador local, Carlos Cuellar de la Texas A&M International University. Las presentaciones del miércoles se realizarán a las 6:30 p.m. en Casa Ortiz, 915 Zaragoza St. La siguiente tarde, el jueves 11 de diciembre, se presentará el autógrafo de libros y recepción para la exhibición “Guerero Viejo Revelaed”, mostrando las fotografías de Everardo Castro Medellin y Eugene George, a realizarce en el Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum del 810 Zaragoza St. Los eventos del jueves inician a las 6 p.m. Everardo Castro Medellin, un ávido fotógrafo, es un geofísico con Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). Su tema favorito es la arquitectura, ambas naturales y la hecha por el hombre. Las fotografías de Medellin se han mostrado en Austin, Nueva Ciudad Guerrero y Reynosa. Eugene George es un Fellow of the American Institute of Architects que es reconocido por

sus estudios de la arquitectura y preservación de la historia en la frontera Texas-México. Su libro, “The Lost Architecture of the Rio Grande Borderlands: The Tragedy of the Falcón Reservoir” de Texas A&M University Press será presentado para ser autografiado. “Estamos encantados de colaborar con la Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society para presentar esos dos eventos vespertinos de tanto significado histórico para muchos residentes del Sur de Texas cuyos ancestros tienen una relación con Guerrero Viejo”, dijo Margarita Araiza, directora ejecutiva del Webb County Heritage Foundation. “Además, el autógrafo de libros dará una oportunidad para conocer a los fotógrafos y comprar un regalo navideño muy original”. Guerrero Viejo, anteriormente conocido como Revilla, fue uno de los cinco lugares establecidos al norte por José de Escandón en el Nuevo Santander, una de las últimas provincias al norte de la Nueva España durante el siglo 18. Revilla, fundado en 1750, fue renombrada Ciudad Guererro en 1827 en honor de Vicente Guerrero, un héroe de la independencia mexicana. En 1953, Guerrero Viejo sufrió una inundación completa de las reservas internacionales de Falcon. Cuando las aguas de la reserva disminuyeron, como lo hacen periódicamente, las bellas piedras de la estructura de Guerrero se dan a conocer nuevamente. Más información llamando al Webb County Heritage Foundation llamando al (956) 7270977 ó escribiendo a heritage@webbheritage.org.


LOCAL

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2008

Training seminar set for Dec. 12

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

The deadline for registering for a land management and pesticide training seminar is Monday, Dec. 8. The training, to be conducted by the Monte Mucho Soil and Water Conservation District and the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, is scheduled for Dec. 12 in Hebbronville. To register, call Erika Melo at (361) 527-3253 ext. 3. Registration is $10 and will include lunch. Registration will be from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. The training will be 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at t h e Fi r s t Nat i o n a l Bank, 305 N. Smith Avenue, in the community room. Attendees will receive five continuing education units (CEUs) toward their pesticide applicators license. Rio Bravo Resource Conservation and Development Council is a co-sponsor of the training.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | 9A

Laredo to light its tree today SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Photo by Marlen Guerra/ALBES | Special to the Times

Students of the month for November for Arturo L. Benavides Elementary School were recently honored. In the back row, left to right, are Robert Salinas, fifth grade; Raquel Juarez, fourth grade; Kimberly Santos, third grade. In the front row, left to right, are Natalia Banda, kindergarten; Brianna Solis, first grade; and Sabrina Hughes, second grade.

Zapata area offers plenty for everyone BY DORA MARTINEZ

COLUMN

Zapata County and the surrounding area, both north and south of Rio Grande River, abound in a romantic history even as its people move forward into the future. The Spanish-American heritage of the region is quite apparent and influential in every aspect of life. Texas proudly relates its history of having been under six flags: France, Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederacy and the United States. Zapata County adds a seventh flag, that of the Republic of Rio Grande. It is here that the intense but short-lived republic was born, and it’s from one of the participants in that effort that the city and county derive their names. Falcon Lake Reservoir was dedicated on Oct. 19, 1953, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, becoming the second fresh water lake

in the state of Texas. The lake covers an area of about 87,300 acres along the Rio Grande River on the U.S.-Mexico Border. It offers 432 miles of shoreline, breathtaking scenery and is rated among the best bass fishing lakes in Texas. Several fishing tournaments take place at Falcon Lake, attracting fishing enthusiaasts from all over. There are also sports fishing stores where you will find all you need for your next fishing adventure. And there is a free crossing into Mexico over the dam. Other outdoor activities include golf at Los Ebanos Golf Course, which is soon to be an 18 hole course. Hunting is also another wildlife resource in South Texas, where there is a plentiful supply of white-tailed deer, blue and white quail, mourning doves and white wing doves. For more nature there are hundreds of acres to explore, with a virtual gold mind of

precious rocks such as fossils, arrowheads and Indian artifacts along the Rio Grande. Bird watching plays an important role here, too; one of the prized birds on the birders list is the White-Collared seedeater, which can be seen here during the winter months — that’s when the snowbirds, as we call them come down from the north, and enjoy all these activities. The public schools are in a 3A District, providing equal, revlevant and quality instruction for all its students. Many graduates have attended the nation’s highly respected universities. For civic and social organizations, you can visit the Chamber of Commerce, where you will find anything you wish to know. (Dora Martinez is a native of Zapata who was publisher of Hispanic News in San Antonio for 21 years. She can be reached at thezapatatimes@att.net)

“Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, riding down Santa Claus Lane.” Actually, it will be San Bernardo Avenue, but after joining his helpers in the parade that kicks off NavidadFest today, the jolly old guy in the red suit will join Mayor Raul G. Salinas to officially “flip the switch” at this year’s tree lighting ceremony in San Agustin Plaza. The revelry will begin at 4 p.m. with a parade and performances for the community. The parade, featuring Laredo Independent School District and United ISD dance and cheer groups, countless floats, mounted patrols, motorcycles, cars and, of course, that famous Z-93/Guerra Communication Sleigh carrying Santa Claus and Salinas, will wind down San Bernardo Avenue, starting at the Laredo Chamber of Commerce, and end at the Mercadito Plaza on Hidalgo Street. Attendees can watch the festivities along the parade route or wait downtown to catch any number of performances that will already be taking place on one of two stages in San Agustin Plaza. Z-93/Guerra Communications masters of ceremonies Luis “The Bird” Rodriguez and Sam Almanza will help tell the story of the various performers, entertaining the crowd until the official tree-lighting at 6:30 p.m., when they will be joined by an additional master of cere-

monies, Tim Gutierrez of Pro8 News. Performances will continue in San Agustin Plaza, while Santa Claus greets children, takes pictures and passes out goody bags. Children will also have a chance to break any one of four holiday piñatas filled with candy. At 7 p.m., the “Pastorela,” a traditional Mexican holiday play that kicks off the re-enactment of Mary and Joseph’s journey to find lodging for the night, will be shown. A posada following the theatrical performance will lead back to the Mercadito Plaza to the Laredo Center for the Arts, where performances by Vidal M. Treviño School of Fine Arts and Communications students, including a sample of “The Nutcracker” ballet, will be offered inside their facility. LCA will also feature an art display by students from the United Day School art department, as well as an ongoing silent auction of more than 50 beautifully decorated piñatas created by students from their art camps, as well as students from the Bethany House. Attendees at the NavidadFest will find a lovely array of artisans and holiday crafts, as well as delicious and traditional Mexican holiday foods, sold throughout downtown. Entrance to NavidadFest is free. The event is organized by the City of Laredo, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Laredo Center for the Arts, La Posada Hotel, Main Streets Laredo and the Mexican Consulate’s Office.

Live a healthy life read Salud only in Laredo Morning Times


Zbusiness

SATURDAY,DECEMBER 6,2008

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

10A

Could $1 gas be close? Stocks turn higher after dismal jobs report Energy prices falling By TIM PARADIS

ASSOCIATED PRESS

By MARK WILLIAMS ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Oil prices hit four-year lows Friday as employers cut the highest number of jobs in 34 years. The continuing decline in prices is so dramatic and so sudden that it is raising the prospect that gas prices could soon fall below $1 a gallon. The worst jobs data in 34 years Friday just added more fuel to the deepening global recession as U.S. employers slashed a far-worsethan-expected 533,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate rose to a 15-year high of 6.7 percent. A gallon of gasoline can be had for 50 cents less than it cost just last month, and people are starting to talk about $1 gas. Granted, gas prices are a long way off from that magic number last seen in March 1999, when prices were at 97 cents a gallon, according to motor club AAA. Prices at the pump fell 1.6 cents overnight to $1.773 nationally, according to AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. But consider what has happened since July 11, when a barrel of oil hit a record $147.27, and July 17, when a gallon of gas was $4.117. In less than five months, oil has fallen 72 percent. Just this week, in which the National Bureau of Economic Research determined that the U.S. is in a recession, oil has fallen 25 percent. On Friday, light, sweet crude for January delivery settled at $40.81 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, down by nearly $3 per barrel. Prices fell as low at $40.50, levels last seen in December 2004. Gasoline futures for January delivery tumbled to 90 cents. For gas prices to get close to $1, oil prices probably would need to

“The economy at that point worldwide would be in a serious, serious deterioration.” AAA SPOKESMAN GEOFF SUNDSTROM

fall another $10 a barrel — something that would have impossible to fathom during first part of this year as oil prices soared near $150 per barrel. “Just seeing that ‘1’ up there is just hard to imagine,” said Kevin Keating, 65, an attorney, as he filled up his Volvo S60 at a station in Phoenix that advertised prices at $1.67. “Wasn’t that long ago that we worried about the ‘4’ being up there.” Prices in New York City are well above the national averages, but still well off their highs of nearly $5 this summer. “When gas prices are OK, we make a little profit,” said Mamady Kourouma, 36, a cab driver from Guinea who paid $2.41 a gallon at a station in Chelsea. With wages stagnant, home prices plummeting and foreclosure rates soaring, dollar-a-gallon gas may help mom fill up in the family minivan and cab drivers in New York City, but prices that low also would truly speak to how rotten the economy has become. “The economy at that point worldwide would be in a serious, serious deterioration,” said Geoff Sundstrom, spokesman for AAA. Tom Kloza, publisher and chief oil analyst at Oil Price Information Service, said Thursday on his blog that retail prices could fetch $1.25 a gallon soon in parts of the Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Already, some parts of the country are seeing prices around that level. According to the Web

site gasbuddy.com, where motorists can post local gas prices, motorists can fill up for $1.29 in Neelyville, Mo., a village of about 500 people near the Arkansas state line. The jobs number suggests that demand for gasoline, which has been running well below year-ago levels even with the cheaper prices in the last several weeks, will fall even more in early 2009 as work-related driving plummets, said Kloza. “I believe that January 2009 will represent the most ‘challenging’ and ugly economic month of my lifetime, and my first memory is of Sputnik,” Kloza said. There is plenty of reason to suspect Kloza is right. Since the start of the recession, the economy has lost 1.9 million jobs, the number of unemployed people has increased by 2.7 million and the jobless rate is up 1.7 percentage points. The meltdown in financial markets has crushed lending, and the Detroit 3 are on the brink of bankruptcy without a big government bailout. Friday’s report was much deeper than the 320,000 job cuts economists were forecasting. If there is a plus side, it is that the unemployment rate did not climb to the 6.8 percent level economists were expecting. Kloza does not believe prices will make it to $1. Gas prices last neared a dollar Dec. 18, 2001, three months after the terrorist attacks and when the country was in its last recession, when prices hit $1.08 a gallon.

NEW YORK — Wall Street’s initial dejection over a bleak employment report dissipated Friday as the Labor Department’s data raised investor hopes for further government measures to prop up the economy. Stocks turned sharply higher after showing steep losses in the first half of the session. The Dow Jones industrial average, which had been down 258 points, traded essentially flat. Broader indexes showed more strength. The Labor Department’s report that employers slashed 533,000 jobs in November was far worse than the 320,000 that economists forecast. Investors who originally sold on the news had a change of heart by afternoon, believing the numbers could make the government more likely to supply more aid for the economy. They also appeared relieved by the market’s relatively cool reaction to the data — trading was orderly and the huge loss of jobs didn’t spark the type of massive sell-off it might have even a month ago, when Wall Street still trying to determine how severe the recession would be.

“In a kind of paradoxical sense, the really ugly employment numbers probably helped the case for more help from Washington, whether it’s through the broader stimulus plan or more targeted industry measures,” said Craig Peckham, equity trading strategist at Jefferies & Co. Job losses were widespread, hitting manufacturing, construction, retail, financial and other sectors. Beyond the hopes for more aggressive moves by the government, strength in the tattered financial sector also gave a boost to the overall market. An upbeat forecast from Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. cut through some of investors’ fears that profits among financial firms would continue to spiral lower. The company raised its profit expectations for the year and quelled some concerns about the strength of its balance sheet. The stock jumped $7.01, or 97 percent, to $14.22. Other financials jumped. Wells Fargo & Co. rose 98 cents, or 3.6 percent, to $28.53, while National City Corp. rose 16 cents, or 8.9 percent, to $1.96. In midafternoon trading, the Dow industrials jumped 137.71, or 1.64 percent, to 8,513.95.


SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2008

THE ZAPATA TIMES | 11A

OBITUARIES SEVERO VILLARREAL Severo Villarreal, 89, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008, at Laredo Medical Center. For additional questions or times, please call Rose Garden Funeral Home at (956) 765-8311, or visit us at www.rosegardenfuneralhome.com.

By NICK GEORGIOU THE ZAPATA TIMES

SEX BIZ | Continued from Page 1A “I think there’s been some talk of one coming in to town and setting up within a residential area,” Rathmell said. As the zoning of Zapata stands right now, an adult-oriented business could set up in a neighborhood of single-family homes if its owners so desired. Also on Monday’s agenda is a construction contract for the new water plant. Officials say it likely will be awarded at Monday’s meeting. Zapata County has received a loan from the Texas Water Development Board for $14.6 million for the plant’s construction. The plans are for it to be able

to deliver 7 million gallons of water a day. “We’ve been working on it for the last two years,” Rathmell said. “It’s gotten through to the bid phase.” Construction should begin in January. “It’s a big project that we’ve been anticipating,” Rathmell said. The Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Monday at the Zapata County Courthouse. Presiding over the court is County Judge Rosalva Guerra. (Zach Lindsey may be reached at 728-2538 or zach@lmtonline.com)

LEGAL | Continued from Page 1A undergo financial screening, and if they qualify, they will receive legal representation for their uncontested civil cases, said Israel Reyna, manager of RioGrande Legal Aid’s Laredo office. “We’ll make sure everyone has a lawyer by their side when they come here,” Reyna said at Tuesday’s announcement in the 49th District Court. “It takes a lawyer to get through this maze of a legal system.” Improperly prepared documents can lead to problems later on, said Luciano Rodriguez, a private attorney who will volunteer for the social justice court. If there are problems with the lawsuit when it’s disposed of, there might be enforcement problems later, Rodriguez said. In some cases it might mean one side will have trouble collecting child support, he said. “It’s judicially economical to have someone aid the folks and make sure they do it right,” Rodriguez said. The court is based on the

Firefighters battle blaze

“We’ll make sure everyone has a lawyer by their side when they come here.”

Zapata firefighters battled a grassfire Thursday afternoon off Texas 16 near Bustamante Street. Fire Chief Juan J. Meza said the blaze destroyed about 100 acres. No injuries were reported. Meza said a Ford F-150’s catalytic converter triggered the fire at about 3 p.m. By the time firefighters arrived, the vehicle was engulfed in flames.

“The grass was maybe 19 to 20 inches high,” he said. “When you have grass that high and you drive a vehicle into it, not knowing the danger of it, the catalytic converter (can get) very hot and start a grass fire very quick.” About eight firefighters responded to the blaze. It took them approximately two hours to control and extinguish the fire, Meza said, adding that the crew stayed for another hour to make sure they killed all the hot spots. While there is no burn ban in effect in Zapata County, officials urge caution. Much of

Central Texas is in a severe drought, and that area is widening. Meza recommended that people avoid driving into high grass areas because catalytic converts can get hot and start a fire. “You’re going to lose your vehicle and possibly your life because grass burns pretty quick,” he said. “It’s getting dry out there. “The humidity is too low, and it doesn’t take much heat to start a fire. I know it’s going to get busy on us.” (To reach Nick Georgiou, call 728-2582 or e-mail nickg@lmtonline.com)

Protect yourself for the holidays SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

This holiday season, auto burglars will shop the easy way — by stealing gifts, purses, wallets, packages, electronics or other valuables left in plain sight inside vehicles. Every two minutes, a vehicle is burglarized in Texas and the contents stolen, according to state records. These crimes escalate during the holiday season, when people shop more often. And drivers often don’t take necessary precautions to avoid becoming burglary victims. The Texas Automobile Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority, a division of the Texas Department of Transportation, offers safety tips to motorists to

help prevent vehicle crimes during the holidays and throughout the year: Hide your belongings from view Lock your vehicles Take your keys Last year, thieves committed more than 262,000 acts of vehicle burglary and stole more than 94,000 vehicles in Texas. In some jurisdictions, more than half of reported thefts occurred because vehicle doors were unlocked and keys were left inside. “We want everyone to enjoy the holiday season and not experience the violation and frustration of having their vehicles burglarized or stolen,” said Charles Caldwell, interim director of the Texas ABTPA.

“We encourage all vehicle owners and operators to help prevent such crimes from happening by practicing simple theft prevention measures.” When vehicles are stolen, thieves have easy access to everything left inside, including items such as garage door openers, house keys and personal information, which can all lead to additional and more serious crimes, as well as further victimization of the vehicle owner. “We know that auto burglars scout malls, shopping centers and other retail parking lots this time of year looking for the perfect opportunity to break into vehicles,” said Michelle Lanham, program coordinator for ABTPA’s Reduce Auto Theft in Texas pub-

lic awareness task force at the University of North Texas Caruth Police Institute in Dallas. “Within seconds, these criminals can get inside a car, steal the contents and be on their way from the scene. And experienced thieves can steal a vehicle without keys in less than a minute. The Texas Auto Theft Prevention Authority was created by the Texas Legislature in 1991 to fund programs to reduce vehicle thefts. In 2007, the Legislature expanded the scope of the agency to include automobile burglary prevention and added the term “burglary” to the group’s title. For more information on vehicle theft prevention, visit www.txwatchyourcar.com.

THE ONE AND ONLY

RIO GRANDE LEGAL AID LAREDO OFFICE MANAGER ISRAEL REYNA monthly night court in Webb County, which judges and attorneys donate their time for, Lopez said. The Webb County court has been successful, and he’s trying to duplicate that in Zapata. To participate in the social justice court, call Texas RioGrande Legal Aid at (956) 718-4683 or (888) 988-9996. Residents will be screened for participation in the program. (Jason Buch may be reached at 728-2547 or jbuch@lmtonline.com)

BRIBERY | Continued from Page 1A Morales made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday and is scheduled for arraignment Tuesday. A copy of the indictment was not available Thursday. FBI agents in McAllen arrested agent Salomon Ruiz, 34, Wednesday on similar charges in a related but separate case, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “The recent arrest of Leone Morales is a reminder of the severe consequences of succumbing to avarice and the promise of ill-gotten gains,” said Carlos X. Carrillo, chief patrol agent, Laredo Sector, in a prepared statement. “The men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol and the Laredo Sector, who each day perform their duty with honor and integrity on America’s frontline, remain staunchly committed to defending the rule of law and the security of our nation.” The investigation was carried

out by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, and Customs and Border Protection Internal Affairs. The FBI’s public corruption investigators have been active in Zapata in recent years. Julio Alfonso Lopez, former deputy commander of the Laredo Multi-Agency Narcotics Task Force; Jose Alberto Amaro, a former investigator with the Zapata County Attorney’s Office and the Zapata County Sheriff’s Department; and Manuel “Meme” Martinez, a former Zapata County sheriff’s deputy and former justice of the peace, were convicted in 2007 of taking money from undercover FBI agents, who the officials thought were drug traffickers, and allowing the “traffickers” safe passage through Zapata County. (Jason Buch may be reached at 728-2547 or jbuch@lmtonline.com)

Photo by Richard Avedon/Christie’s | AP

ABOVE: In this photo released by Christie’s auction house,actress Marilyn Monroe poses for photographer Richard Avedon in 1957. LEFT: In this photo released by Christie’s, actress Marilyn Monroe poses for photographer Bert Stern in 1962.The photo is among more than 100 Monroe images being offered for sale in three sessions Dec. 16-17 at Christie’s. They are expected to bring from $811,000 to $1.1 million. Photo by Bert Stern/Christie’s | AP

BUTTERFLIES | Continued from Page 1A The popularity has led the park have a weekly presentation called “Ask Fran” on Wednesdays. Falcon State Park Superintendent Donald Beard said the park’s location — between two distinct climates — enables it to play host to the variety of species of butterflies. “We are kind of in a transition area; down in the Lower Valley, you get the tropical species, and up in Laredo and Zapata is more of an arid species,” he said. “We are kind of in a transition (area), so we get both. Stuff you can’t see down there and stuff you can’t see up there, we get it all.”

Bartle said that even in winter, though not the peak time for butterfly watching, more species of butterflies can still be seen at Falcon State Park than many other part of the county see all year round. “We have 47 species in January,” she said. “There are many states that don’t have that many throughout the state in the peak times … so that way, winter Texans and folks that are down here in the winter, there will be butterflies and flowers in the winter so they can enjoy the garden.” Beard said he would like more people to realize that aside from the garden, the park

provides ample opportunities for people from all walks of life to enjoy themselves. “This is an awesome park in general,” he said. “We have some of the best fishing, we got an awesome boat ramp here, people can come cook out and barbecue, we have bird watching. “We have three miles worth of nature trails that people around here don’t even know about,” he added. “You can bring bikes, and we got plans to add more, at least double the trails and make some designated biking trails. It’s a beautiful park.” (Julian Aguilar may be reached at 7282557 or jaguilar@lmtonline.com)

UNITED WAY | Continued from Page 1A cases before it was around.” Perez has been a police investigator for 12 years. Because she is a woman, cases involving sexual abuse were often given to her. Perez said the sequence of events for investigations before the advocacy center would go something like this: The victim cries out to someone he or she trusts, perhaps a teacher. The teacher informs the guidance counselor or a school nurse, usually both, and asks the child to recount the story. The principal gets involved and asks to speak to the child, who

has to repeat what they’ve already told three adults. Mom gets called and is furious because she is probably dependent on whoever the accused is. The police arrive and ask to speak to the child, who has to retell everything. And the officer who takes the report isn’t necessarily the one to handle the case. Victims had to tell their stories to up to 10 adults even before going to court and sharing their personal stories with a room full of strangers. “These are the kinds of things that these children have had to deal with,” said Sylvia Bruni, the

center’s executive director. “It’s embarrassing for us as grown adults. Can you imagine a child being put through that kind of a drill in front of a group of total strangers?” Today, children who cry out to an adult don’t have to tell their story more than three times, in most cases. As soon as a child tells someone, they can be sent to the Children’s Advocacy Center for a forensic interview with a trained, experienced person. To help cope with the heartwrenching cases, there is humor at meetings with other investiga-

tors, attorneys and colleagues. It’s basic to survival. “I get such a kick out of them because that group, as far as I’m concerned, they walk on water,” Bruni said. “They are phenomenal, people like Cordy, because they actually go out and work with the children.” Perez, who is also on the CAC Board of Directors, plans to continue her work with the center even if she leaves the Special Investigations Unit. “We’ve had many success stories, and I can attribute them to the center,” Perez said. “I believe in the center.”

The most immediate success is the justice granted to the victims, Perez said. The average sentence before the CAC got involved was 10 years probation. Today,

individuals serve 20-, 30- or 40year terms and life sentences. For more information about the Children’s Advocacy Center, call 753-7222.


12A | THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2008

Photos by Marlen Guerra | Special to the Times

The colorful home of philanthropist Adrian Martinez is on the San Ygnacio Historic Homes Tour.

San Ygnacio invites all to historic homes tour By DIANA R. FUENTES LAREDO MORNING TIMES

The annual San Ygnacio Historic Homes Tour is set for Sunday, Dec. 7, providing delightful entertainment, good food and a tour of some of the town’s most beautiful homes, all for a good cause. “You are cordially invited to spend an extraordinary day in historic San Ygnacio for the grand tour of the homes,” said Gerardo Montes, principal of Arturo L. Benavides Elementary School in San Ygnacio. “Your visit will be heartfelt. Bring family and friends.” The event raises funds for the school. Entertainment begins at the Blas Maria Uribe Plaza on Grant Street at 11:30 a.m. Plates of tamales will be sold for $6 each, and can be enjoyed while the entertainers are performing. Tickets for the tour are also $6 each, and will be available at the plaza. The tour is from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. All the sites are within walking distance, but there will be a hay trailer offering rides be-

Blas Maria Uribe Plaza is the starting point for the annual tour. tween the stops. The holiday tour has been conducted for more than 20 years, and is one of the most popular events of the season. “It’s a tradition for our school,” said Marlen Guerra, librarian at Benavides Elementary, who is one of the organizers. This year’s tour will visit eight sites, including several homes decorated for the holidays, Fort Treviño and Maria del Refugio

Catholic Church. The weather is expected to be sunny and mild Sunday with clear skies and a high in the upper 70s, just perfect for taking a pleasant walking tour of one of the state’s most historic towns. To get to Blas Maria Uribe plaza, head south from Laredo on U.S. 83. When you get to San Ygnacio, make a right on Grant Street and follow it straight to the plaza.


The Zapata Times SATURDAY,DECEMBER 6,2008

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Sports&Outdoors Hawks looking to place hoops on the radar screen again By NINO CARDENAS THE ZAPATA TIMES

There’s a revival movement of sorts going on at Zapata High School, as first-year boys’ basketball coach Juan Villarreal is busy trying to show that there is sporting life after football. The effort to bring back the glory years of the past falls squarely on the shoulders of seven seniors and five sophomores. Only 38 players decided to test the basketball waters in the preseason. “Since football got real big, some kids went to more of a football mindset. I know what Zapata basketball used to be and mean,” Villarreal said. The Hawks used to love their basketball, and igniting that passion was a 1967 team that captured the state championship, followed by some good runs

“I know what Zapata basketball used to be and mean.” BASKETBALL COACH JUAN VILLARREAL that have started sputtering in recent years. The Hawks (1-3) aren’t exactly brimming with experience this season, but they do have four seniors to steady the ship and one sophomore to soak up the experience. “I know the seniors have the talent to be good. Hopefully we can try to rebuild,” Villarreal said. The starting five is made up of senior point guard

See HOOPS | PAGE 2B

Hawks start with win By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES

Sophomore Brandi King poured in 15 points, and teammate Adriana Pena added 10 points as the Zapata Lady Hawks rallied from a three-point deficit at halftime to beat Falfurrias, 4738, on the road Tuesday night. Lynda Leyva and Clarissa Solis chipped in with six points apiece. The Lady Hawks (2-3) picked up their second win and handed Falfurrias (7-2) its second loss of the pre-district season. It was a tale of two halves for the Lady Hawks, who displayed a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality.

In the first half, Zapata’s sloppy and careless ball handling led to turnovers and points for the Lady Jerseys. “We were making too many careless mistakes and not taking care of the ball in the first half,” Zapata coach Clyde Guerra said. Those uncharacteristic mistakes had the Lady Hawks down by thee points heading into halftime, 20-17. In the second half, the Lady Hawks went back to their fundamental basketball game plan and saw positive results. Point guard Myra Alaniz

started to control the tempo of the game with her ball handling skills to help the Lady Hawks take the lead in the game. “Once Myra started to control the game, it gave us an opportunity to play fundamental basketball in a very physical game,” Guerra said. The Lady Hawks also started to control the boards and put in second-chance shots. The Lady Hawks pulled away in the final period to come away with the victory. Zapata is at the Alice tournament this weekend and will face very good competition against state-ranked teams.

See HAWKS | PAGE 2B

NFL | DALLAS

A-Ware of success Cowboys LB D-Ware is a dominating force By STEPHEN HAWKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEN ROETHLISBERGER

TONY ROMO

’Boys, Steelers ready for kickoff By ALAN ROBINSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t born yet when the Dallas-Pittsburgh rivalry thrived with two 1970s-era Super Bowl matchups, back when the Cowboys first gained the nickname of America’s Team but the Steelers were America’s champions. The Steelers quarterback gains an appreciation each day for what those Doomsday Defenses versus the Steel Curtain games meant not only to the nearly two dozen Hall of Famers who played in them, but the cities they represent. The numerous pictures displayed at Steelers headquarters — and the two Super Bowl trophies earned by beating Dallas — tell him all he needs to know. “It’s here every day when you walk in,’’ Roethlisberger said. “You know how special it is from a team standpoint. To us, it’s another huge game.’’ Huge, indeed. Cowboys-Steelers games have been a scarce commodity

of late, with only five meetings in 20 seasons. But Sunday’s contest may be the most significant during the regular season since disco was king and the quarterbacks were Roger Staubach and Terry Bradshaw, not Roethlisberger and Tony Romo. The Steelers (9-3) could make the playoffs for the sixth time in eight years by winning, as long as the Patriots and Dolphins lose. Also, Mike Tomlin could become the first coach in the franchise’s 76-year history to win at least 10 games in each of his first two seasons. For the Cowboys, it’s even more of a must-win game. They probably need to win three of their final four to reach the playoffs and, with the Giants, Ravens and Eagles to follow, there’s not much margin for error. “This is the type of game that you want to play in,’’ Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said. “Because if you don’t play well against these guys, it kind of lets you know where you are. We need every game going into the stretch.’’

See KICKOFF | PAGE 2B

RVING — DeMarcus Ware surely expected a running play on third-and-short. Frank Gore instead burst out of the backfield and into a deep pass pattern. Ware, the Cowboys linebacker better known for sacking quarterbacks before they can even throw the ball, stuck with San Francisco’s dual-threat running back step for step — and broke up the pass more than 20 yards downfield. While Ware is the NFL sacks leader, he has a unique blend of strength, agility and quickness that allows him to make plays and be a dominating force all over the field. “He’s dismantling people,” teammate Marcus Spears said. “D-Ware plays the run like a down lineman; he also can get to the quarterback with a power rush or can run past them. So those facets of his game are what makes him exceptional.” Ware’s three sacks in the Cowboys’ last game Thanksgiving Day pushed his season total to 15. Those came in less than three quarters before Ware sustained a hyperextended left knee, an injury that kept him out some practices this week but isn’t expected to keep him from playing Sunday. When his left leg twisted awkwardly while again rushing Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, Ware fell to the ground. An uneasy feeling settled over suddenly quiet Texas Stadium when it became apparent he was hurt. The Cowboys (8-4), a preseason Super Bowl favorite now fighting just to earn a wild-card spot, already had struggled through three games without in-

I

Photo by Tony Gutierrez | AP

In this Nov. 23 photo, Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware (94) celebrates after sacking San Francisco 49ers quarterback Shaun Hill (13) during their game in Irving. jured Tony Romo. The quarterback’s return sparked a threegame winning streak, and now their defensive leader was down. But Ware got up after a few minutes and walked to the sideline and locker room without any assistance, and even returned to the field for the postgame celebration. Ware expects to play Sunday at Pittsburgh wearing a protective brace on his knee. “Guys might try to go at it or cut me,” Ware said. “That’s part of the game.” Defenses have had little success stopping Ware, no matter what they do. “Our guys are short, squatty try-hard guys,” Steelers coach

Mike Tomlin said this week when asked to DALLAS COWBOYS at compare PITTSBURGH STEELERS his standout linebacker 4:15 p.m. James HarCable channel rison to 5 FOX Ware. “DeMarcus is a freak of nature.” Said Spears, “Having him out there, offenses have to account and change things up. He affects the game before it starts.” Along with his career-best 15 sacks, Ware already has 76 tackles (five for losses), 16 quarterback pressures, three pass breakups and three forced fumbles.

SUNDAY’S GAME

“He’s an instinctive player and he’s a smart player,” said Zach Thomas, a seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker who joined the Cowboys this season. “He’s so talented. He really has impressed me with his consistency. You really don’t see him have an off game.” In the only game this season Ware didn’t have a sack, ending his NFL record-matching streak of 10 consecutive games with one, he was in the face of Tampa Bay’s Jeff Garcia to force a victory-clinching incompletion on fourth down from the Cowboys 18 with 13 seconds left. Ware since has a modest

See WARE | PAGE 2B

NCAA | BIG 12

Bradford tops McCoy for All-Big 12 1st-team QB By JAIME ARON ASSOCIATED PRESS

DALLAS — Picking the top quarterback on the All-Big 12 team was about as difficult as figuring out the South division champion. But the result was the same: Oklahoma. Although Texas’ Colt McCoy was chosen offensive player of the year by the 20 voters in balloting conducted by The Associated Press, the same group picked Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford over McCoy for the prized first-team spot on the all-conference squad released Thursday.

Bradford’s victory was by a single point and the details are a bit mind-numbing, like the BCS formula that vaulted the Sooners over the Longhorns and into the Big 12 title game. So, take a deep breath and perhaps grab some scratch paper to follow along on how this played out. — First, the ground rules: The AP uses a panel of writers who regularly cover the Big 12 for newspapers across the conference’s seven states; 10 are based in the Big 12 North, 10 in the South. Each gets to pick one first-team quarterback and one second-teamer. The firstteam vote is worth two points, the second-team vote is worth one.

—Bradford got nine firstteam votes, 10 for second team and was left off one ballot. That’s 28. —McCoy got 10 first-team BRADFORD votes, seven for second teams and was left off three. That’s 27. Like the Big 12 race, Texas Tech was the spoiler. Red Raiders quarterback Graham Harrell was the only other quarterback to get a vote. He picked up four, one for first team and three for second team. Thus,

the race swung on whether the Harrell supporters picked McCoy or Bradford as their other choice. Three went with Bradford and one McCOY with McCoy. To emphasize how big of a difference that was, consider that Bradford and McCoy were both named on 16 ballots. Nine favored McCoy over Bradford, seven went the other way. McCoy became the front-runner for this award and many others after leading Texas past Brad-

ford and Oklahoma in mid-October. His campaign lost some steam when Harrell and the Red Raiders knocked off the Longhorns. Around that time, Bradford and the Sooners were getting on a big roll of their own. Bradford guided Oklahoma to 60 points in each of its last four games, including a romp over Texas Tech. Bradford also finished the season with an NCAA-best 46 touchdowns and 300 yards passing in 10 games. The Sooners, Longhorns and Red Raiders finished in a threeway tie atop the Big 12 South. The first four tiebreakers didn’t settle anything, so it went to a fifth op-

tion, the BCS rankings. That favored Oklahoma, sending Bradford and his pals into the conference title game Saturday against No. 19 Missouri. If the Sooners win that, they’ll be headed to the national championship game, likely against the winner of the SEC championship game. Oklahoma will go into the game with a league-best six firstteam all-conference picks, including linebacker Travis Lewis, the only freshman to make the top squad, and offensive lineman Duke Robinson, who was firstteam last year, too.

See BIG 12 | PAGE 2B


Zscores CHL NORTHERN CONFERENCE Northeast Division W L OTL Pts GF GA Oklahoma City 14 2 2 30 59 32 Bossier-Shreveport 11 5 2 24 59 47 Mississippi 11 8 0 22 60 56 Tulsa 5 10 2 12 48 81 Northwest Division W L OTL Pts GF GA Colorado 15 3 0 30 85 52 Rocky Mountain 6 10 1 13 47 69 Wichita 6 12 1 13 53 68 Rapid City 4 7 5 13 53 69 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE Southeast Division W L OTL Pts GF GA Laredo 13 5 0 26 65 46 Texas 11 6 1 23 60 50 Rio G Valley 8 6 2 18 55 52 Corpus Christi 7 8 1 15 54 56 Southwest Division W L OTL Pts GF GA Odessa 12 5 2 26 81 56 Arizona 8 12 1 17 78 88 New Mexico 7 11 1 15 70 83 Amarillo 5 12 0 10 45 67 Thursday’s Games Laredo 6, Rio Grande Valley 4 Bossier-Shreveport 1, Wichita 0 Corpus Christi 5, Arizona 4 Friday’s Games Tulsa at Odessa Bossier-Shreveport at Texas Arizona at Laredo Corpus Christi at Rio Grande Valley Mississippi at Rapid City Amarillo at New Mexico Saturday’s Games Corpus Christi at Odessa Laredo at Texas Bossier-Shreveport at Wichita Arizona at Rio Grande Valley Oklahoma City at Tulsa Rocky Mountain at Colorado Mississippi at Rapid City Amarillo at New Mexico Sunday’s Games No games scheduled Monday’s Games No games scheduled Tuesday’s Games Amarillo at Odessa Rio Grande Valley at Texas Wichita at Oklahoma City

NFL All Times EST AMERICAN CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF PA N.Y. Jets 8 4 0 .667 340 268 New England 7 5 0 .583 277 255 Miami 7 5 0 .583 253 257 Buffalo 6 6 0 .500 276 259 South W L T Pct PF PA Tennessee 11 1 0 .917 304 175 Indianapolis 8 4 0 .667 257 250 Houston 5 7 0 .417 282 310 Jacksonville 4 8 0 .333 241 270 North W L T Pct PF PA Pittsburgh 9 3 0 .750 269 170 Baltimore 8 4 0 .667 292 190 Cleveland 4 8 0 .333 213 247 Cincinnati 1 10 1 .125 151 310 West W L T Pct PF PA 7 5 0 .583 292 319 Denver San Diego 5 8 0 .385 324 281 Oakland 3 10 0 .231 179 299 Kansas City 2 10 0 .167 216 340 NATIONAL CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF PA N.Y. Giants 11 1 0 .917 352 206 Dallas 8 4 0 .667 299 260 Washington 7 5 0 .583 208 222 Philadelphia 6 5 1 .542 319 249 South W L T Pct PF PA Tampa Bay 9 3 0 .750 280 200 Carolina 9 3 0 .750 285 231 Atlanta 8 4 0 .667 298 242 New Orleans 6 6 0 .500 337 301 North W L T Pct PF PA Minnesota 7 5 0 .583 287 260 Chicago 6 6 0 .500 281 268 Green Bay 5 7 0 .417 334 295 Detroit 0 12 0 .000 203 393 West W L T Pct PF PA Arizona 7 5 0 .583 338 313 San Francisco 4 8 0 .333 262 313 Seattle 2 10 0 .167 216 311 2 10 0 .167 159 360 St. Louis Thursday’s Games San Diego 34, Oakland 7 Sunday’s Games Minnesota at Detroit, 1 p.m. Cleveland at Tennessee, 1 p.m. Houston at Green Bay, 1 p.m. Atlanta at New Orleans, 1 p.m. Jacksonville at Chicago, 1 p.m. Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m. Cincinnati at Indianapolis, 1 p.m. Miami vs. Buffalo at Toronto, 4:05 p.m. New England at Seattle, 4:05 p.m. N.Y. Jets at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m. Kansas City at Denver, 4:05 p.m. Dallas at Pittsburgh, 4:15 p.m. St. Louis at Arizona, 4:15 p.m. Washington at Baltimore, 8:15 p.m. Monday’s Game Tampa Bay at Carolina, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11 New Orleans at Chicago, 8:15 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14 Buffalo at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m. Tennessee at Houston, 1 p.m. Seattle at St. Louis, 1 p.m. Tampa Bay at Atlanta, 1 p.m. San Francisco at Miami, 1 p.m. Detroit at Indianapolis, 1 p.m. San Diego at Kansas City, 1 p.m. Washington at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. Green Bay at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. Minnesota at Arizona, 4:05 p.m. Denver at Carolina, 4:15 p.m. New England at Oakland, 4:15 p.m. Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 4:15 p.m. N.Y. Giants at Dallas, 8:15 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15 Cleveland at Philadelphia, 8:30 p.m.

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic W L Pct GB Boston 18 2 .900 — New Jersey 9 8 .529 7½

Toronto New York Philadelphia

8 9 .471 8½ 8 10 .444 9 8 11 .421 9½ Southeast W L Pct GB Orlando 14 5 .737 — Atlanta 11 6 .647 2 Miami 10 9 .526 4 Charlotte 7 11 .389 6½ Washington 3 13 .188 9½ Central W L Pct GB Cleveland 15 3 .833 — Detroit 11 6 .647 3½ Chicago 8 11 .421 7½ Milwaukee 8 12 .400 8 Indiana 7 11 .389 8 WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest W L Pct GB 12 7 .632 — Houston New Orleans 10 6 .625 ½ Dallas 10 8 .556 1½ San Antonio 10 8 .556 1½ Memphis 4 14 .222 7½ Northwest W L Pct GB Portland 14 6 .700 — Denver 13 7 .650 1 Utah 12 8 .600 2 Minnesota 4 13 .235 8½ Oklahoma City 2 17 .105 11½ Pacific W L Pct GB L.A. Lakers 15 2 .882 — Phoenix 11 9 .550 5½ Golden State 5 13 .278 10½ Sacramento 5 15 .250 11½ L.A. Clippers 3 15 .167 12½ Thursday’s Games Dallas 112, Phoenix 97 San Antonio 108, Denver 91 Friday’s Games Oklahoma City at Orlando, 7 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Washington, 7 p.m. New York at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Indiana at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m. Minnesota at New Jersey, 7:30 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Memphis, 8 p.m. Portland at Boston, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Detroit, 8 p.m. Charlotte at Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m. Golden State at Houston, 8:30 p.m. Toronto at Utah, 10 p.m. Saturday’s Games Cleveland at Charlotte, 7 p.m. New Jersey at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. Oklahoma City at Miami, 7:30 p.m. Memphis at New Orleans, 8 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Washington at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Atlanta at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Golden State at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. Utah at Phoenix, 9 p.m. Denver at Sacramento, 10 p.m. Sunday’s Games Detroit at New York, Noon Portland at Toronto, 1 p.m. Boston at Indiana, 6 p.m. Milwaukee at L.A. Lakers, 9:30 p.m.

NHL All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L OT Pts GF GA N.Y. Rangers 18 9 2 38 77 73 Pittsburgh 15 6 4 34 82 68 Philadelphia 12 7 6 30 82 77 New Jersey 13 8 2 28 68 62 N.Y. Islanders 10 13 2 22 67 85 Northeast Division W L OT Pts GF GA Boston 17 4 4 38 85 56 Montreal 15 6 4 34 78 67 Buffalo 11 11 3 25 66 73 Toronto 9 11 6 24 79 94 Ottawa 9 10 4 22 57 57 Southeast Division W L OT Pts GF GA 14 9 3 31 85 82 Washington Carolina 12 12 2 26 67 80 Florida 11 11 3 25 63 69 Tampa Bay 6 11 8 20 57 79 Atlanta 8 14 3 19 72 92 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division W L OT Pts GF GA Detroit 17 4 4 38 90 76 Nashville 13 10 2 28 73 79 Chicago 11 6 6 28 79 67 Columbus 11 11 3 25 73 78 St. Louis 10 11 2 22 63 71 Northwest Division W L OT Pts GF GA 15 8 1 31 71 53 Minnesota Vancouver 14 10 2 30 80 68 Calgary 14 10 1 29 73 77 Colorado 12 13 0 24 66 74 Edmonton 11 11 2 24 66 72 Pacific Division W L OT Pts GF GA San Jose 22 3 1 45 100 61 Anaheim 14 10 3 31 77 76 Phoenix 12 11 2 26 65 68 Los Angeles 10 11 3 23 62 67 Dallas 9 12 4 22 70 92 Thursday’s Games Montreal 6, N.Y. Rangers 2 Pittsburgh 5, Carolina 2 New Jersey 3, Philadelphia 2, OT Washington 5, N.Y. Islanders 2 Florida 2, Buffalo 1 Detroit 6, Vancouver 5 Boston 3, Tampa Bay 1 Nashville 3, Colorado 2 Phoenix 6, Toronto 3 San Jose 3, Columbus 2 Friday’s Games Vancouver at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Calgary at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m. Colorado at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Edmonton at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. Saturday’s Games Pittsburgh at Ottawa, 2 p.m. Chicago at Detroit, 7 p.m. Boston at Florida, 7 p.m. New Jersey at Montreal, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at Carolina, 7 p.m. Atlanta at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Washington at Toronto, 7 p.m. Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Minnesota at Nashville, 8 p.m. Phoenix at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m. Edmonton at San Jose, 10 p.m. Columbus at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. Sunday’s Games Washington at Carolina, 5 p.m. Phoenix at Chicago, 7 p.m. Calgary at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Columbus at Anaheim, 8 p.m. Vancouver at Colorado, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY,DECEMBER 6,2008

NCAA Football Top 25 Schedule All Times EST (Subject to change) Saturday, Dec. 6 No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Florida, SEC championship at Atlanta, 4 p.m. No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 19 Missouri, Big 12 championship at Kansas City, Mo., 8 p.m. No. 5 Southern Cal at UCLA, 4:30 p.m. No. 13 Cincinnati at Hawaii, 11:30 p.m. No. 18 Boston College vs. Virginia Tech, ACC Championship at Tampa, Fla., 1 p.m. No. 23 Pittsburgh at Connecticut, Noon Schedule (Subject to change) Saturday, Dec. 6 EAST Navy (7-4) vs. Army (3-8) at Philadelphia, Noon Pittsburgh (8-3) at Connecticut (7-4), Noon Jacksonville (8-3) at Albany, N.Y. (8-3), 1:30 p.m. South Florida (7-4) at West Virginia (7-4), 8 p.m. SOUTH ACC championship, Boston College (9-3) vs. Virginia Tech (8-4) at Tampa, Fla., 1 p.m. SEC championship, Alabama (12-0) vs. Florida (11-1) at Atlanta, 4 p.m. W. Kentucky (2-9) at Fla. International (47), 7 p.m. Arkansas St. (6-5) at Troy (7-4), 7 p.m. MIDWEST Big 12 championship at Missouri (9-3) vs. Oklahoma (11-1), Kansas City, Mo., 8 p.m. SOUTHWEST C-USA championship, East Carolina (8-4) at Tulsa (10-2), Noon FAR WEST Washington (0-11) at California (7-4), 3 p.m. Southern Cal (10-1) at UCLA (4-7), 4:30 p.m. Arizona St. (5-6) at Arizona (6-5), 8 p.m. Cincinnati (10-2) at Hawaii (7-5), 11:30 p.m. NCAA FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals Richmond (10-3) at Appalachian State (112), Noon Weber State (10-3) at Montana (12-1), 2 p.m. Villanova (10-2) at James Madison (11-1), 3:30 p.m. New Hampshire (10-2) at Northern Iowa (11-2), 7 p.m.

NCAA Men’s Basketball Schedule All Times EST Friday, Dec. 5 EAST Canisius at Manhattan, 7 p.m. Navy at Penn, 7 p.m. Lehigh at Stony Brook, 7 p.m. St. Peter’s at Fairfield, 7:30 p.m. Iona at Marist, 7:30 p.m. SOUTH ETSU at Mercer, 7:30 p.m. Furman at South Carolina, 8 p.m. William Carey at Alcorn St., 8:30 p.m. MIDWEST Texas-Pan American at Drake, 8:05 p.m. Bryant at Iowa, 8:35 p.m. SOUTHWEST Texas A&M International at SMU, 8 p.m. Arizona at Texas A&M, 9:30 p.m. FAR WEST Denver vs. Texas-Arlington at Dahlberg Arena, Missoula, Mont., 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 EAST W. Michigan at Holy Cross, 12:30 p.m. American U. at Georgetown, 1 p.m. Brown at New Hampshire, 1 p.m. Cleveland St. at West Virginia, 1 p.m. Mount St. Mary’s, Md. at Cent. Connecticut St., 2 p.m. Harvard at Colgate, 2 p.m. Rhode Island at Providence, 2 p.m. Monmouth, N.J. at Quinnipiac, 2 p.m. Binghamton at Rutgers, 2 p.m. Yale at Wagner, 2 p.m. Marshall at Boston U., 3 p.m. Fla. International at Buffalo, 3 p.m. La Salle at Hartford, 4 p.m. Fairleigh Dickinson at Sacred Heart, 4 p.m. George Mason at Drexel, 4:30 p.m. Temple at Penn St., 6 p.m. Howard vs. Hampton at Madison Square Garden, 7 p.m. Vermont at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Long Island U. at Robert Morris, 7 p.m. Creighton at Saint Joseph’s, 7 p.m. Albany, N.Y. at Siena, 7 p.m. Princeton at St. Bonaventure, 7 p.m. St. Francis, NY at St. Francis, Pa., 7 p.m. Hofstra at Towson, 7 p.m. Boston College at Massachusetts, 8:30 p.m. SOUTH N.C. State vs. Davidson at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, N.C., Noon Northeastern at James Madison, 12:05 p.m. Louisiana-Monroe at Auburn, 2 p.m. Vanderbilt at Georgia Tech, 2 p.m. Indiana St. at Louisville, 2 p.m. N.J. Tech at Md.-Eastern Shore, 2 p.m. Gardner-Webb at Liberty, 3 p.m. Alabama St. at Mississippi St., 3 p.m. Mississippi at New Orleans, 3 p.m. W. Kentucky at Tulane, 3 p.m. Coll. of Charleston at UNC Greensboro, 3 p.m. Tougaloo at Alcorn St., 3:05 p.m. Lipscomb at Jacksonville, 3:15 p.m. Bethune-Cookman at Florida A&M, 4 p.m. Coppin St. at Morgan St., 4 p.m. Norfolk St. at N. Carolina A&T, 4 p.m. Southern U. at Nicholls St., 4 p.m. Delaware at Old Dominion, 4 p.m. Southern, NO at SE Louisiana, 4 p.m. Murray St. at Morehead St., 4:15 p.m. Belmont at North Florida, 4:15 p.m. Lamar vs. Ohio at Freedom Hall, Louisville, Ky., 4:30 p.m. VMI at UNC Asheville, 4:30 p.m. Miami at Kentucky, 5:30 p.m. Louisiana-Lafayette at Alabama, 7 p.m. Tenn.-Martin at E. Kentucky, 7 p.m.

Limestone at East Carolina, 7 p.m. The Citadel at Elon, 7 p.m. Presbyterian at High Point, 7 p.m. Winthrop at Radford, 7 p.m. Delaware St. at Richmond, 7 p.m. South Florida at UCF, 7 p.m. Georgia St. at UNC Wilmington, 7 p.m. Va. Commonwealth at William & Mary, 7 p.m. Appalachian St. at Wofford, 7 p.m. Samford at Georgia Southern, 7:30 p.m. Winston-Salem at S. Carolina St., 7:30 p.m. Bucknell at Wake Forest, 7:30 p.m. Tuskegee at Alabama A&M, 8:30 p.m. Jacksonville St. at Tennessee Tech, 8:30 p.m. Grambling St. at Louisiana Tech, 9 p.m. MIDWEST UAB at Cincinnati, Noon Georgia vs. Illinois at the United Center, Noon Gonzaga vs. Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, 1:30 p.m. Oregon St. at Iowa St., 2 p.m. Jackson St. at Kansas, 2 p.m. Cornell at Minnesota, 2 p.m. Charlotte at S. Illinois, 2:05 p.m. Northwestern St. at Miami (Ohio), 3 p.m. Chicago St. at N. Illinois, 3 p.m. Wright St. at Wis.-Milwaukee, 3 p.m. Duke at Michigan, 3:30 p.m. DePaul at Northwestern, 3:30 p.m. Ohio St. vs. Notre Dame at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, 4 p.m. N.C. Central at Drake, 4:05 p.m. North Dakota at N. Iowa, 4:05 p.m. Dayton at Akron, 7 p.m. W. Illinois at IUPUI, 7 p.m. W. Carolina at Kent St., 7 p.m. Butler at Youngstown St., 7:05 p.m. Austin Peay at E. Illinois, 8 p.m. Loyola of Chicago at Ill.-Chicago, 8 p.m. Centenary at N. Dakota St., 8 p.m. Ark.-Pine Bluff at Purdue, 8 p.m. Savannah St. at Saint Louis, 8 p.m. Detroit at Wis.-Green Bay, 8 p.m. Ball St. at Evansville, 8:05 p.m. Bowling Green at Illinois St., 8:05 p.m. Arkansas St. at Missouri St., 8:05 p.m. IPFW at UMKC, 8:05 p.m. Oral Roberts at S. Dakota St., 8:30 p.m. Tennessee St. at SE Missouri, 8:45 p.m. Wisconsin at Marquette, 9:30 p.m. SOUTHWEST Texas St. at Rice, 4 p.m. Texas Wesleyan at Stephen F.Austin, 7 p.m. New Mexico St. at North Texas, 8 p.m. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at TCU, 8 p.m. Sam Houston St. at UTEP, 9:05 p.m. FAR WEST Idaho at Portland, 5 p.m. Southern Miss. at New Mexico, 6 p.m. Utah St. at BYU, 7 p.m. UC Irvine at Pepperdine, 8 p.m. Utah Valley St. at N. Arizona, 8:35 p.m. Texas-Arlington at Montana, 9 p.m. Colorado St. at Boise St., 9:05 p.m. Cent. Michigan at Cal St.-Fullerton, 9:05 p.m. Utah at Idaho St., 9:05 p.m. Air Force at N. Colorado, 9:05 p.m. Texas Southern at Washington, 9:30 p.m. Wyoming at Loyola Marymount, 10 p.m. San Diego at San Diego St., 10 p.m. Long Beach St. at San Francisco, 10 p.m. Sacramento St. at Santa Clara, 10 p.m. CS Bakersfield at UC Davis, 10 p.m. S. Utah at UC Riverside, 10 p.m. Montana St. at E. Washington, 10:05 p.m. Seattle at Portland St., 10:05 p.m. Fresno St. at Pacific, 10:30 p.m. UNLV at Nevada, 10:35 p.m. Baylor at Washington St., 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7 EAST Niagara at Loyola, Md., Noon Manhattan at Rider, 2 p.m. Canisius at St. Peter’s, 2 p.m. Mount Ida at Stony Brook, 2 p.m. Iona at Fairfield, 3:30 p.m. Virginia Tech vs. Navy at the Verizon Center, 5 p.m. George Washington vs. Maryland at the Verizon Center, 7:30 p.m. SOUTH Liberty at Clemson, 3 p.m. Houston Baptist at South Alabama, 3:05 p.m. MVSU at Kentucky, 4 p.m. Ohio at Louisville, 4 p.m. SIU-Edwardsville at Middle Tennessee, 5 p.m. Florida at Florida St., 5:30 p.m. Indiana St. vs. Lamar at Freedom Hall, Louisville, Ky., 6:30 p.m. MIDWEST N.C. Central vs. Texas-Pan American at the Knapp Center, Des Moines, Iowa, Noon Toledo at Oakland, Mich., 1 p.m. California at Missouri, 2 p.m. Bradley at Michigan St., 4 p.m. SOUTHWEST Oklahoma at Tulsa, 4:05 p.m. FAR WEST Nebraska at Arizona St., 2 p.m. Kansas St. at Oregon, 8:30 p.m. CS Northridge at UCLA, 10:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8 EAST Army at Bryant, 7 p.m. Lafayette at Fordham, 7 p.m. Albany, N.Y. at Lehigh, 7 p.m. Colgate at Maine, 7 p.m. Savannah St. at Georgetown, 7:30 p.m. Fairleigh Dickinson at Monmouth, N.J., 7:30 p.m. N.J. Tech at St. John’s, 7:30 p.m. SOUTH Indiana St. vs. Ohio at Freedom Hall, Louisville, Ky., 4:30 p.m. Lamar at Louisville, 7 p.m. MIDWEST Wayne, Mich. at E. Michigan, 7 p.m. Hawaii at Illinois, 8 p.m. SOUTHWEST Texas A&M International at Texas A&MCorpus Christi, 8 p.m. Ark.-Little Rock at Oral Roberts, 8:05 p.m. Wichita St. at TCU, 9 p.m. FAR WEST San Jose St. at San Diego, 10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9 EAST Hartford at Brown, 7 p.m. Binghamton at Bucknell, 7 p.m. Navy at Mount St. Mary’s, Md., 7 p.m. New Hampshire at Rhode Island, 7 p.m. Marist at Siena, 7 p.m. Columbia at St. Francis, NY, 7 p.m. Davidson vs. West Virginia at Madison Square Garden, 7 p.m. Cal Baptist at Seton Hall, 7:30 p.m. Saint Joseph’s at Towson, 7:30 p.m. Texas vs. Villanova at Madison Square

Garden, 9 p.m. SOUTH Covenant at E. Kentucky, 7 p.m. Virginia Tech at Georgia, 7 p.m. Delaware at Hampton, 7 p.m. Campbell at VMI, 7 p.m. SIU-Edwardsville at Lipscomb, 8 p.m. MIDWEST Purdue at Ball St., 7 p.m. N. Iowa at Iowa, 7 p.m. Toledo at Wright St., 7 p.m. Idaho St. at Wisconsin, 8:30 p.m. Drake at Iowa St., 9 p.m. SOUTHWEST Texas Coll. at Sam Houston St., 8 p.m. FAR WEST Cal St.-Fullerton at Montana St., 9:05 p.m. San Francisco at Pacific, 10 p.m. Denver at CS Northridge, 10:05 p.m. Sonoma St. at Nevada, 10:05 p.m. Lewis & Clark at Portland St., 10:05 p.m. Utah Valley St. at Sacramento St., 10:05 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10 EAST Coppin St. at Loyola, Md., 6 p.m. Bryant at Boston College, 7 p.m. Yale at Boston U., 7 p.m. Northeastern at Harvard, 7 p.m. Iona at Long Island U., 7 p.m. Holy Cross at Massachusetts, 7 p.m. St. Peter’s at N.J. Tech, 7 p.m. Army at Penn St., 7 p.m. Rutgers at Princeton, 7 p.m. Monmouth, N.J. at Rider, 7 p.m. Hofstra at Stony Brook, 7 p.m. Cent. Connecticut St. at UMBC, 7:05 p.m. SOUTH Limestone at High Point, 7 p.m. Charlotte at Mississippi St., 7 p.m. Duquesne at Radford, 7 p.m. Huston-Tillotson at Nicholls St., 7:30 p.m. Idaho at S. Carolina St., 7:30 p.m. Florida Gulf Coast at Florida, 8 p.m. Louisiana-Monroe at Louisiana Tech, 8 p.m. Louisiana College vs. McNeese St. at the Lake Charles (La.) Civic Center, 8 p.m. Alabama A&M at Vanderbilt, 8 p.m. MIDWEST Ohio at Xavier, 7:30 p.m. Chicago St. at Illinois, 8 p.m. TCU at Indiana, 8 p.m. SE Missouri at W. Illinois, 8 p.m. Butler at Bradley, 8:05 p.m. Dayton at Creighton, 8:05 p.m. E. Illinois at Evansville, 8:05 p.m. Morgan St. at DePaul, 8:30 p.m. S. Dakota St. at Minnesota, 9 p.m. IPFW at Valparaiso, 9 p.m. SOUTHWEST Maine at Oklahoma, 8 p.m. N.C. Central at Arkansas, 8:05 p.m. Missouri St. at Tulsa, 8:05 p.m. FAR WEST California at Utah, 8 p.m. San Diego St. at Arizona, 9 p.m. Boise St. at BYU, 10 p.m. Colorado St. at Colorado, 10 p.m. CS Bakersfield at Fresno St., 10 p.m. New Mexico at San Diego, 10 p.m. Gonzaga at Washington St., 10 p.m.

NCAA Women’s Basketball Schedule All Times EST Friday, Dec. 5 EAST Siena at Canisius, Noon Navy at Penn, 3 p.m. Army at Drexel, 4 p.m. Loyola, Md. at Manhattan, 5 p.m. New Hampshire at Colgate, 6 p.m. Long Island U. at Brown, 7 p.m. N.J. Tech at Lafayette, 7 p.m. Bryant at Lehigh, 7 p.m. Marist at Niagara, 7 p.m. Iona at Rider, 7 p.m. Fairfield at St. Peter’s, 7 p.m. James Madison at Georgetown, 8 p.m. SOUTH ETSU at Mercer, 5 p.m. Jackson St. vs. Tulane at Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, 5:30 p.m. Alabama St. at Georgia St., 6 p.m. Sam Houston St. at Auburn, 7 p.m. Georgia at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. Indiana at Miami, 7 p.m. S. Virginia at Radford, 7 p.m. High Point at South Carolina, 7 p.m. Fla. International at South Florida, 7 p.m. Indiana St. at New Orleans, 8 p.m. Louisiana-Lafayette at Nicholls St., 8 p.m. MIDWEST S. Illinois at DePaul, 1 p.m. N.C. State at Michigan, 6:30 p.m. Evansville at Ball St., 7 p.m. Loyola of Chicago at SIU-Edwardsville, 7 p.m. Akron at Xavier, 7 p.m. SOUTHWEST Texas Southern at Houston, 8 p.m. FAR WEST Wright St. vs. BYU at the Cannon Center, Laie, Hawaii, 6 p.m. Utah Valley vs. Southern Cal at the Cannon Center, Laie, Hawaii, 9 p.m. Boise St. at Montana St., 9:05 p.m. Long Beach St. at Washington St., 10 p.m. Seattle at Portland St., 10:05 p.m. San Diego at BYU-Hawaii, Mid TOURNAMENTS Air Force Classic At Colorado Springs, Colo. First Round N.C. Central at Air Force, 7 p.m. Miami (Ohio) vs. Texas-Pan American, 9:30 p.m. Commerce Bank Wildcat Classic At Manhattan, Kan. First Round MVSU vs. Arkansas, 5 p.m. Alcorn St. at Kansas St., 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 EAST Dayton at Penn St., Noon Monmouth, N.J. at Quinnipiac, Noon Hofstra at Buffalo, 1 p.m. Wofford at Fordham, 1 p.m. Binghamton at La Salle, 1 p.m. Delaware St. at Syracuse, 1 p.m. Holy Cross at Vermont, 1 p.m. Saint Joseph’s at Hartford, 2 p.m. Harvard at Providence, 2 p.m. Fairleigh Dickinson at Sacred Heart, 2 p.m. Marshall at Seton Hall, 2 p.m. Northeastern at Stony Brook, 2 p.m. Mount St. Mary’s, Md. at Cent. Connecticu St., 4 p.m. Massachusetts vs. Long Island U. at the Pizzitola Center, Providence, R.I., 4 p.m. St. Francis, N.Y. at St. Francis, Pa., 4 p.m.

Denver at Columbia, 7 p.m. Towson at UMBC, 7 p.m. SOUTH Coll. of Charleston at UNC Greensboro, Noon Lipscomb at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. Davidson at Appalachian St., 2 p.m. Georgia Southern at Elon, 2 p.m. Furman at Kentucky, 2 p.m. Murray St. at Morehead St., 2 p.m. Bowie St. at Morgan St., 2 p.m. Norfolk St. at N. Carolina A&T, 2 p.m. Belmont at North Florida, 2 p.m. Charlotte at UNC Asheville, 2 p.m. East Carolina at Virginia, 2 p.m. Coppin St. at Wake Forest, 2 p.m. South Alabama at Southern U., 3 p.m. Tenn.-Martin at E. Kentucky, 4 p.m. William & Mary at Richmond, 4 p.m. Bethune-Cookman at Florida A&M, 5 p.m. William Carey at Southern Miss., 5 p.m. Indiana St. at Tulane, 5 p.m. Winston-Salem at S. Carolina St., 5:30 p.m. Howard at Hampton, 6 p.m. Jacksonville St. at Tennessee Tech, 6:30 p.m. Alabama A&M at Chattanooga, 7 p.m. Ohio at Clemson, 7 p.m. Stephen F. Austin at Grambling St., 7 p.m. Arizona at Louisiana Tech, 7 p.m. Jackson St. vs. New Orleans at Fogelman Arena, New Orleans, 7 p.m. MIDWEST Ohio St. at Nebraska, 1 p.m. Wis.-Green Bay at N. Iowa, 1:05 p.m. Youngstown St. at Bowling Green, 2 p.m. Coastal Carolina at Butler, 2 p.m. UAB at Cent. Michigan, 2 p.m. North Dakota at Toledo, 2 p.m. Bradley at Illinois, 2:30 p.m. Kent St. at Cleveland St., 3 p.m. Centenary at N. Dakota St., 3 p.m. E. Michigan at Illinois St., 3:05 p.m. Austin Peay at E. Illinois, 4 p.m. W. Illinois at IUPUI, 4:30 p.m. IPFW at UMKC, 5 p.m. W. Michigan at Ill.-Chicago, 5:30 p.m. Oral Roberts at S. Dakota St., 6 p.m. Tennessee St. at SE Missouri, 6:30 p.m. SOUTHWEST Louisiana-Monroe at Lamar, 3 p.m. Huston-Tillotson at Texas-San Antonio, 3 p.m. Cent. Arkansas at Tulsa, 3 p.m. Prairie View at Houston Baptist, 3:05 p.m. Valparaiso at North Texas, 5:30 p.m. Texas-Arlington at Rice, 6:30 p.m. Oklahoma St. at Ark.-Little Rock, 8 p.m. St. John’s at Baylor, 8 p.m. FAR WEST E. Washington at Utah St., 1 p.m. N. Colorado at Colorado St., 4 p.m. Drake at Weber St., 4 p.m. Wyoming at Idaho St., 4:05 p.m. UNLV at Loyola Marymount, 5 p.m. UC Davis at Saint Mary’s, Calif., 5 p.m. Utah Valley vs. San Diego at the Cannon Center, Laie, Hawaii, 5 p.m. Oakland, Mich. at S. Utah, 7 p.m. Vanderbilt at UC Riverside, 7 p.m. Fresno St. at Pacific, 8 p.m. Southern Cal vs. BYU at the Cannon Center, Laie, Hawaii, 9 p.m. Santa Clara at CS Bakersfield, 10 p.m. Wright St. at BYU-Hawaii, Mid

Transactions BASEBALL American League CLEVELAND INDIANS—Signed RHP Tomo Ohka to a minor league contract. LOS ANGELES ANGELS—Agreed to terms with RHP Pil Joon Jang on a minor league contract. FOOTBALL National Football League NFL—The four-game suspensions of New Orleans DE Charles Grant, New Orleans RB Deuce McAllister, New Orleans DE Will Smith, Minnesota DT Kevin Williams and Minnesota DT Pat Williams for violating the league’s anti-doping policy, have been blocked U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson. Suspended Tennessee DT Kevin Vickerson for four games for violating the league’s policy on anabolic steroids and related substances. Fined Carolina DE Julius Pepper $10,000 for a late hit on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Nov. 30; Minnesota DE Jared Allen $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct when he used the football as a prop in a Nov. 30 game against Chicago; Tennessee OT David Stewart $7,500 for unnecessary roughness on a running play in a Nov. 27 game at Detroit. DALLAS COWBOYS—Activated RB Alonzo Coleman from their practice squad. Cut CB Quincy Butler. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS—Signed LB Junior Seau. Placed LB Adalius Thomas on injured reserve. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS—Placed G Mike Wahle on injured reserve. Signed C Steve McKinney. HOCKEY NHL NHL—Suspended Dallas C Sean Avery for six games for making crude comment regarding his ex-girlfriends dating other hockey players. Avery has served two games of the suspension. COLORADO AVALANCHE—Recalled F Chris Stewart from Lake Erie (AHL). NEW JERSEY DEVILS—Placed F Barry Tallackson on waivers. AHL AHL—Suspended Springfield C Gilbert Brule for four (4) games as a result of his actions in a Dec. 3 game at Lowell. ALBANY RIVER RATS—Announced D Casey Borer and D Tim Conboy have been recalled by Carolina (NHL), Announced F Pat Dwyer and D Josef Melichar have been assigned to the team by Carolina. Signed LW Patrick Bordeleau. PROVIDENCE BRUINS—Announced LW Ned Lukacevic has been reassigned to the team from Reading (ECHL). SYRACUSE CRUNCH—Announced D Clay Wilson was recalled by Columbus (NHL). ECHL READING ROYALS—Named Larry Courville assistant coach. COLLEGE OKLAHOMA STATE—Agreed to terms with football coach Mike Gundy on a sevenyear contract extension. RICHMOND—Announced the resignation of men’s soccer coach Jeff Gettler.

KICKOFF | Continued from Page 1A Dallas will be challenged not only by a Pittsburgh defense that leads the league in every major category — no defense has been so dominant statistically since the 1991 Eagles — but its own discouraging run of Decembers. The Cowboys are 17-28 in December games dating to their last playoff victory 12 years ago. No wonder they probably won’t like this frigid Pittsburgh-in-December forecast: snow showers and a gametime temperature of 26. To Tomlin, that record — and the Cowboys’ 8-4 season mark — matter not a bit. “They’re much better than an 8-4 team,’’ Tomlin said. “They’re a different team when their quarterback (Tony Romo) is playing.’’ Romo is 3-0 with six touchdown passes and one interception since returning from a broken right little finger, leading an offense that has scored 34-plus points and gained more than 400 yards in its last two games. Romo’s challenge: The Steelers’ No. 1-ranked defense hasn’t allowed a team — much less a passer —

to gain 300 yards. Pittsburgh gives up 166.8 yards per game passing, far less than the Cowboys offense’s average of 244 yards through the air. “I think they’re fantastic,’’ said Romo, a noted risk-taker with a league-high 103.2 passer rating who probably can’t afford many mistakes against this defense. “It’s going to be an incredible challenge for us to move the ball. They’re every bit as good as people say. When you look at it, you just don’t know how you are going to move the ball against these guys.’’ Cowboys coach Wade Phillips, an assistant 30 years ago under father Bum when the Oilers twice lost to Pittsburgh in AFC championship games, said this defense compares favorably to that famed Steel Curtain. While cold weather gear will be necessary, perhaps this will become known as the pajama game. To keep his players’ legs fresh as the season winds down, Phillips sent some of his veterans home early from practice Wednesday. Cornerback Adam “Pacman’’ Jones, back from a six-game suspension,

took advantage of the casual atmosphere by practicing in a pair of Homer Simpson pajama pants. The Steelers never go about their work so casually, with safety Ryan Clark saying this game illustrates the difference between Hollywood’s team (Dallas) and the heartland’s team (Pittsburgh). “They have a glamour element,’’ Clark said. “(Steelers chairman) Dan Rooney, you never seen him in front of the cameras. And then Jerry Jones, he loves it. He knows how to put his team in the forefront and he knows how to make his team Hollywood.’’ Roethlisberger is about as big as it gets as a celebrity in Pittsburgh, but he can’t compare to Romo and his tabloid-filling romance with singer Jessica Simpson. “I don’t mean this to sound rude, but he’s asking for it (the attention),’’ said Roethlisberger, whose best-known fling was with golfer Natalie Gulbis. “He’s dating high profile, he’s doing all the stuff that he wants to do. That’s the life he chooses to live off the football field and that’s his choice.’’

WARE | Continued from Page 1A four-game streak, and the NFL singleseason record of 22½ sacks set by Michael Strahan in 2001 isn’t out of reach. Even though Ware knows it “is possible” he would rather not discuss that right now. “You’ve got to keep it out of your mind. It’s all really just being consistent,” Ware said. “That’s what I told myself at the beginning of the season. I’ve been doing really well with that philosophy, so just going to keep on rolling.” Ware’s sacks streak that was the longest in the NFL in 15 years isn’t even recognized as a Cowboys record. Harvey Martin had sacks in 11 consec-

utive games from 1976-77 before the NFL recognized sacks as an official stat, and has the single-season team record with 23 in 1977. Still, the last Cowboy to have more sacks in a season than Ware was Hall of Fame defensive tackle Randy White with 16 in 1978. And Ware, in his fourth season, already has four of the top six single-season totals for linebackers in team history, and is only the fourth player in team history with three consecutive 10-sack seasons. Teammates insist, however, that Ware is even better against the run than he is rushing quarterbacks and creating havoc in the passing game.

“That’s telling you something,” Thomas said. “I love when guys try to run,” said Ware, whose beastly on-field persona is far from the soft-spoken, often-smiling person he really is. “I can really show my aggression toward them when they try to crack-block down on me. ... You really can just overpower guys.” Ware hadn’t even played a game for the Cowboys as a rookie in 2005 before former coach Bill Parcells was comparing the first-round pick to another player he coached, Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor. Parcells drafted Ware 11th overall, taking the defensive end from Troy in-

stead of Shawne Merriman, who was selected by San Diego with the very next pick. Ware had to learn the nuances of the 3-4 defense and adapt to the hybrid position that is part defensive end and part linebacker. “It’s all about wanting to do it and just working hard,” Ware said. “That’s what I do at the end of the day. I knew I was going to be able to convert over to linebacker, but how successful can you be? It goes as sort of a goal or a steppingstone that I had to overcome. Now, I’m very comfortable with what I do.” And eventually Parcells may be comparing players to Ware instead of Taylor.

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SPORT SHORTS Hoop Shots for Tots basketball tournament There will be a 5-on-5 Hoop Shots for Tots basketball tournament at Hachar Rec Center on Saturday and Sunday. The tournament will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the fee for entry is one toy per participant. Participants must be 8 years or older and a member of any rec center. All proceeds will go to families in the Laredo community.

Kickoff Golf Clinic for LJGA On Saturday, Dec. 13, is the Kickoff Golf Clinic for The Laredo Junior Golf Association. The Laredo Jr. Golf Association (LJGA) was created to provide access to any child willing to learn the game of golf. Mr. Bryan Gathright will host the clinic. Bryan is one of the 100 golf instructors in the nation and President of Southern Golf Properties. This marks the first time a nationally recognized golf instructor visits Laredo for instruction. He works with many professional golfers and should provide a great clinic. For more information on the clinic, please call Rodolfo Gonzalez, 956-726-2019.

TAMIU winter baseball camps TAMIU baseball will host hitting camps this Saturday and Sunday and pitchers and catcher camps on Dec. 13 and 14. The Dec. 6 hitting camp will be for ages 13 -18 and the Dec. 7 camp for ages 7-12. The Dec. 13 pitchers and catchers camp will be for ages 13-18 and the Dec. 14 camp for ages 7-12. All camps will be held at the TAMIU Baseball Field with an entry fee of $75 per player. All camps will be directed by head coach Chad Porter and his assistant coaches, along with current players. Instruction will be provided emphasizing the fundamental skills of baseball. Participants will have the opportunity to put their skills into action while being evaluated by the coaching staff. For more information call Coach Porter at 3263004 during normal business hours or to register visit the baseball page at www.godustdevils.com.

BIG 12 | Continued from Page 1A Missouri has five first-teamers, as did Texas Tech. Only three players were unanimous choices: Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree, Oklahoma State running back Kendall Hunter and Texas defensive lineman Brian Orakpo, who also was the defensive player of the year. This was Crabtree’s second straight season as a unanimous pick. Missouri’s Jeremy Maclin was a first-teamer at two spots, receiver and all-purpose, which accounts for his elusiveness as a returner. He was a unanimous first-teamer at all-purpose last season. His teammates Sean Weatherspoon, a linebacker, and kicker Jeff Wolfert are returning first-teamers. Weatherspoon is the only defensive player back from last year’s first team. Iowa State, Kansas State and Colorado didn’t have any first-teamers. Just as notable, Oklahoma State and Baylor each had three; that’s two more than Texas, which placed only Orakpo on the first team. Kansas had two picks, while Nebraska and Texas A&M each had one. There was one tweak to this year’s balloting: Three first-team receivers and only one running back, instead of two of each. The change was made to better

HAWKS | Continued from Page 1A “We are really excited to attend the Alice tournament. There will be very good competition, and it will prepare the team for the district season,” Guerra said. The Lady Hawks open the tournament with El Campo today. Guerra has seen the steady improvement in his team after every game. “We have been improving as the season goes on. The only thing that we play for is to make sure we hit district with full force,” Guerra said. In 12 days, they will have an opportunity to put all their basketball knowledge to the test as they open district against Rio Hondo on the road.

HOOPS | Continued from Page 1A Raul Serna, senior shooting guard Meliton Trejo, senior small forward Rene Garcia, senior power forward Arlo De Los Santos and sophomore center Luis Jaime Gonzalez. Senior Jerry Buentello (power forward and center) and sophomore Andrew Magee (shooting guard and power forward) are expected to come back from injuries to reinforce the team. Coming off a tumultuous year, the Hawks’ new coach is eager to instill a sense of pride in his team. The former Hawks girls track coach and Zapata alumnus knew exactly what path he wanted to take as he prepared for the season. “First thing was getting the kids to learn teamwork and learn discipline, to get used to not being so selfish and to be a close knit group,” Villarreal said. The trek back won’t be easy, and the preseason schedule wasn’t put together by cautious hands. Villarreal’s plan is to throw his kids into the fire with games against Martin, Roma and Valleyview before closing it out against Hebbronville (their only win of the season). “Hecky Noyola has done a good job with that (Martin) team, and Roma is state-ranked, so we wanted to see what we had,” Villarreal said. The Hawks can begin somewhat anew, as they begin play in their new district in 32-2A. They get to bump heads against the defending champion Rio Hondo Bobcats, Hidalgo Pirates, La Feria Lions, Port Isabel Tarpons, Raymondville BearKats, Lyford Bulldogs and Progreso Red Ants. If the Hawks are to make any noise, the catalyst will be their defense. “The best offense is a good defense,” Villarreal said. “We’re trying to get the fans back in the gym,” he added. Plenty of good spots are available.


SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2008

THE ZAPATA TIMES | 3B

HINTS BY HELOISE Dear Readers: Is your pet a part of your upcoming TRAVEL PLANS for the holidays? Be sure you pack for your pet, too! Here are some ideas to keep in mind: Bedding and a blanket, especially if your pet is elderly. Bowls for food and water HELOISE — and bottled water for the trip. Medications and a copy of vet records. And remember, many cities have laws against animal droppings being left behind — so take

along a pooper scoop or plastic bags from the newspaper or the store. — Heloise PET PAL Dear Readers: Marie Martin of Oakland, Maine, sent a photo of her all-white (except for black and brown markings on his head) cat, Hobie-com, looking like he is waiting for it to be his turn on the computer. Marie says, “Hobie came to us as a stray and loves the computer, and he watches every move on the screen.” Visit www.Heloise.com to see Hobie online! — Heloise RECYCLE Dear Readers: Here is a helpful pet hint to make a low-cost, warm, comfy bed using plastic grocery-store bags and foam

peanuts. Loosely stuff plastic bags with foam peanuts and tie the handles together. You can put these in a pillowcase or a dogbed cover. When the peanuts squash down, just refill with bags of fresh foam peanuts. — Heloise RAISING BIRDS Dear Heloise: If you raise birds, you should only put proper bird nesting material (not cotton balls or dryer lint) in their cage. You can buy the bedding at any pet store. I was raising zebra finches, and many times they would have six babies at a time. I started putting puppy food in the cage to help the mother and father feed the babies. They were all healthy and happy! — Kelly in Colorado

HOROSCOPES | BY FRANCIS DRAKE ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Something about politics, religion or higher education (or perhaps even publishing and media) discourages you today. Maybe a teacher or VIP is on your case. Relax. This will pass. TAURUS (April 20 to M a y 2 0 ) You might be concerned about shared property, the wealth of your partner or other financial issues. Things look bleak. (It’s always darkest before it gets pitch black.) GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Conversations with partners and close friends are critical, strained and unfriendly. Try to make the best of this. These are the people you normally love. (And vice versa.) CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Co-workers are critical of you today, or perhaps you’re critical of them? Either way, don’t fall into the habit of being picky with others today. LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22) It’s easy to be fault-finding with children and loved ones today. But what’s the point? As Goethe observed, “Correction

does much; but encouragement does more.” VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) Tension and family discussions are likely today because someone might be a wet blanket, busy telling everyone else why they can’t do something. LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) This is a worrisome day, and you are in a worrisome mood. When these things come over you, it’s so hard to shake it, isn’t it? If you can’t kick it off, just accept it and wallow in it for a while. SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) Financial disputes with others might occur today. Or someone older and more experienced than you could be critical of you or discouraging in some way. (Bummer.) SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) This is a poor day to seek out the support of parents, teachers, bosses or VIPs. They will shut you down. So avoid trying to get permission or approval. Lie low. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) Self-doubt or feelings of inadequacy might grip you today. Try not to let this get you down.

These feelings are temporary and will pass. Continue your research in some area. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) People seem intent on telling you why you can’t do things today, instead of offering support. Oh well. Some days are like this. It’s not really a big deal. PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20) Bosses, parents and VIPs will block your suggestions today. Don’t take this personally. Maybe the time is not right? YOUR BORN TODAY You’re perceptive and observant; you understand the human condition. Because of this, you know how to appeal to others. You’re also quick to see where an opportunity is. Essentially, you’re practical and easygoing, and you always look for the best in something. New avenues and new beginnings this year have been exciting. Next year, you focus on partnerships. Birthdate of: Shekhar Kapur, filmmaker; Ira Gershwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning lyricist; Dave Brubeck, jazz pianist/composer.

Zclassified REAL ESTATE

HOMES FOR SALE

61

715 Westgate between Hillside Rd. & Calton Rd. 3bd/2ba/2cg, swimming pool. 1596 sqft. L.A. 7779 sqft. Lot. Fully fenced. $149,000 Call:(956)286-0370

HOMES FOR SALE

61

3305 Saint Kathryn, 2 story 4bd/2.5ba/1cg, 1780sqft. $105,000 Call 771-4768 House for Sale by owner, 1509 Sarazen (Plantation) 3bd/2.5ba. 2,477 SqFt per WCAD. $275,500 www.buymyhouselaredo.com Please Call for an appt. 956-723-9705

Norte, Central y Sur de Laredo Casas Disponibles de 3 a 5 recamaras para mudarse el dia de HOY. Facil de Calificar. Financiamiento Disponible. Llame HOY, al 956-237-2041 O a 956-717-0958 Con Adriana Moya Tijeriana

Let me help you by putting you in your new home like if you are paying rent. You can choose a home from 3, 4 & 5 bedrooms. You can even choose the area where you want your family to grow up. Call Javier Garcia today @ 956-235-4641

Great Location-New Spacious Homes 3 Bedroom 2 bath 2 car garage approx. 1400 sq.ft. paying closing cost. Monthly payment $1100.00 Call Jesus @ cell 956-740-2542 office 956-724-9756

2 NEW SUBDIVISION IN NORTH LAREDO FROM THE $150’S & UP. RESERVE YOUR HOMESITE TODAY WITH ONLY $500.00 IN HOUSE FINANCING AVAILABLE. FOR MORE INFO. CALL ANTHONY CARABALLO @ 333-3844

Has your family outgrown your home? Good news! Your dream home is just a trade away! Call me, Eddie Rendon (956) 763-8207

MOBILE HOMES FOR SALE 67 2bd/1ba fridge/stove, CAH, $12,500 Must be Moved. Call 724-3367 Corner Lot & Moblie Home 2bd/2ba 5418 Ramirez, By Lp. 20 & Saunders fenced w/ Carport. Reduced Price $55,000 754-2141

Travel Trailer, 28 ft., furnished, $2,800 cash obo. Call:(956)251-5766

LOTS FOR SALE

R-3, Lot & 1/3, corner, 120 W Locust and McDonell, 12,860 sq ft., $80,000.(956)725-6641.

ACREAGE FOR SALE 76 5 acre tract, frontage on Casa Verde Rd. $200,000 per acre. Contact (956)725-6641 6 Acres in Crystal City, With Hwy Frontage & River Front, @ $30,000. Owner finance w/$3,000 down Call 645-9664

4 bedroom 2 bath approx. 1,500 sq.ft. home on a 10,000 sq.ft. lot for only $117,990 I will also help you with your closing costs let me worry about your credit. Call Luis Calderon @956-725-1965 or @ my cell 956-645-8977 New house, 3bd/2ba, located near schools & shopping areas, $89,000 Call:(956)771-4209

PORQUE RENTAR cuando puede tener casa propia y al mismo tiempo calificar para un prestamo de hast $7,500.00 dlls, casas al norte y sur de laredo hableme para mas informacion, De Hoyos 956-635-6702 Shiloh- 1236 Longhorn,1950sqft, 3bd/2ba $175,000 Finance By Owner 337-6701 CONDOS FOR SALE 64

PETS & SUPPLIES

128

10.19 acres at Bonanza Hills next to Los Botines, next to Hwy. 83 North, pavedroad, electricity available, fenced, land cleared with 26x24 building. $8,300 per acre. Call:(956)724-3161. 147 Acres LaSalle County cabin Elect. deer, hogs, dove, quail $2330 acre 956-740-4849

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 82 $ Great Opportunity$ Franchise La Paletera $95,000OBO Been operating for 3yrs. Fully Equip 1212 International Blvd. Call 251-3797

Make over $50,000 per year! Total sign shop for sale w/all NEW equipment, including Roland inkjet printer/cutter, plotter, laminator, computers, customer & vendor lists, etc. Call (956)237-8310 or (956)744-2679 New Apts. (2) For Sale by Owner! 2bd/1ba, CAH, W/D Hkps, $135,000 Call 723-6896; 645-8556

PETS & SUPPLIES

PETS & SUPPLIES

128

Blue Heelers 7wks. old, $50. 2616 Sabinas Dachshund Mini Toys (Wennie dogs) m/f $200 ea. 229-4027

Mini Poodle, 1 mo. old, white brown, 1 shot, $120.00 obo. SOLD

English Bulldogs, brindle,M/F, $1,200. Call:242-9361

Female Red nose Pit Bull . 8 mo. old.$175, call 286-9603; (956)750-0141

Male Chihuahua puppy, honey colored $100. 717-1395 or 337-2283.

LIVESTOCK & SUPPLIES 130

70

North Laredo. 1.3 Acres on Loop 20 near TAMIU, next to Khaledi Heights on Blue Quail St. $12.50 Per SqFt Neg. Call Dr. Rendon 011-52-867-714-1502 or 011-52-867-715-0118

HELP WANTED

122

Horse, 4.5 years old, black, $900 Call:(956)763-8748 REG. 1 1/2 yr. old APHA Colt, easy to handle, nice show prospect $1,000. Call:237-0765 REG. 2 1/2 yr. old APHA Filly started under saddle, roping prospect $1,500. Call:237-0765

DRIVERS WANTED LEASE PROGRAMNO CREDIT CHECK NO MONEY DOWN

12 month lease with option to buy + $2400 completion bonus on a ’07 Freightliner Century. Only $462 per week lease cost to drivers. Average 91 CPM (based on avg. length of haul) + fuel surcharge. Also hiring owneroperators, solo & team drivers.

866-817-9666 www.xpressdrivers.com

GATEWAY AMBULANCE HIRING EXPERIENCE EMT-B F/T APPLY AT 1308 CLARK ST. SUITE-B

Start your subscription now by calling 728-2555

ARTICLES FOR SALE 136 Frigidaire washer & dryer, white, $350. Call:(956)727-3788 Full Country Club Membership for sale. $3,950. Call 285-1104.

GARAGE SALES

134

2Family Sale! 3020 Chestnut St. Sat.Only 8-2, Clothes, toys, elect, baby clothes & misc. Big Sale! Saturday 622 Allende 8am-5pm. Lots of housewares, home decor, Xmas decor. Estate Sale, Dec. 5 & 6, 317 E. Montgomery, 8am-4pm, furniture, housewares, clothing, etc. Garage Sale at 2619 Okane Saturday December 6th, 8am-12pm. No Early Birds! MEGA Sale, 2604 Laredo, Wed, Thurs & Fri ., 8a-5p. Clothes, magazines, books, toys, shoes & household items. Multi family garage sale. Sat & Sun 8am-1pm both days. No Early Birds! 810 Topaz Trail (tiara Subdivision) across from Divine Mercy Church. Saturday Only! 8am-12noon 237 Middle Stone Dr. (Dominion Del Mar) Household items, clothes & ladies shoes

ARTICLES FOR SALE 136 “MARIACHI POPULAR”. All Occasions. Starting @ $400 Hector Caballero 236-8905 1 full, 2 twin bed. Headboard frame & mattress incl $50 OBO OBO Call 286-8134 After 5pm

Apple IPhone 8GB Excellent condition $225. Call 693-3927 or 724-3683 Barro para techo. $250 Inf:(956)726-4580 For sale 8 liner , Pot of Gold, starting @ $1,000 & up.Call:(956) 645-1804

HELP WANTED

122

Pride of the Brush by Pancho Farias, limited edition, color print 11x14, framed $49, Call 645-0840.

SERENATAS $30 for 3 songs, by guitarist singer. Also hourly.(956)728-8481. Seven drawer executive style desk, solid wood. $75 Call:(956)236-4092.

Sofa & Loveseat- Mocha shades $850 OBO Call 754-3097 Sofa/full single bunk bed, black metal tubing, $100 Call:(956)236-4092. Sofa, love seat, cocktail & end tables. Like new! $599 obo. Call:(956)251-5766

Vendo TV RCA 32” Digital $135 Inf. 333-5451 radio 135*829*2784 Washer & Dryer, excellent condition, white color, $350 pair. Call:(956)324-8903

MUSICAL MENTS

INSTRU138 Gibson Balwin Electric Guitar Signature Series, dark cherry wine color, new in open box. $380 call 956-324-9291

SPORTING GOODS 142

TRUCKS FOR SALE 198

Mini max 45 ACP, 6+1, Colt look alike, 3 in. barrel $375 Call:(956)235-3441. Ruger MK3, bull barrell, SIGP226, 357 SIG, stainless, night sight, $300 & up. 235-3841

‘06 Dodge Dakota, 16K Miles, Club Cab, 6 cyl, auto. $8500 OBO (956) 235-0701

‘99 Grand Caravan, 5 doors, Excellent Cond. $3200 Call 791-3607

TRANSPORTATION

Chevy Trailblazer ‘06, 3rd. seat, rear a/c, 4x4, under warranty, $14,900 Call:(956)220-2937

AUTOMOTIVE PARTS 194

Cummins 3.9 Diesel & Gas Step Vans 7 to Choose From. $4,000 and up. Call 722-3840 or 763-4840

Selling parts for 1994 4x4 Toyota.$300 & down Call:(956)635-7080 New Parts for 2003 F-250, rear bumper, tow bar, mirrors. $500 obo. Call:(956)206-1640 Selling parts for 1994 4x4 Toyota.$300 & down Call:(956)635-7080

TRUCKS FOR SALE 198 ‘00 Chevy S-10 Ext. Cab 4x4, 84Kmil., Lifted, larger tires, bedliner, brush guard, Hi-lift, $6500 Call 237-9587

‘05 Silverado Crew Cab, Good Cond. $9700 Call 645-7992

Dodge Durango ‘99, $5,300 obo, super clean, new tires, 108k mi. Call:(956)326-9997; 285-9595

Escape ‘03 Buenas Cond. 96mil. $4500 Inf: 727-6071 Ford Explorer ‘99, 4dr., 6cyl., blue title, $2,600. Call:(956)333-5451 Hunter’s Special! ‘01 Chev. Silverado 1500 Z71, 4x4, 1 owner, exc. cond., A/C, brush guard, head ache rack, $7,995, OBO 744-1414

‘91 Dodge Truck (old CPL Truck) Good Cond., $2500 OBO Call 635-8428

‘98 Ford F-150, cab 1/2, auto, v8, work truck. $2,800 (956) 635-4743

Tundra ‘03 4x4, Buenas Cond. 56Kmil., $8500 OMO Inf: 401-2344 CARS FOR SALE

200

1998 Cadillac SLS, 4d sedan, leather seats, loaded, like new,Call:(956)724-4667 or 740-8010 ‘04 GrandPrix GT special edition, 56K miles, 6 cyl. good condition, $6700 OBO Call 242-3202 or 413 Clark ‘05 Nissan Sentra, 70k miles, good condition, A/C, $5900 OBO. Call 242-3202

‘97 Mustang Cobra, clean title $7500 negotiable. 956-489-1457 Acura 2.5TL ‘98, lthr. int., sunroof, a/c, all pwr., blue title, new tires, excellent conditions, low mi., $4,500. Call(956)237-6017 Cadillac Sedan Deville ‘92, $1,000 obo. Needs work. Call:(956)220-2896.

CHRYSLER 300 Limited ‘05, fully loaded, $14,750 (956)229-2445

Must Sell, Moving Out, negotiable, 2bd/1.5ba, 2803 Bayard. Brand new, south Laredo. For sale by owner.

Call Dr. Rendon 011-52-867-714-1502 or 011-52-867-715-011

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 82

MISCELLANEOUS

Pug puppies, 6wks. old,3F/1M $400ea. Call:(956) 750-1260

1 Condo $55,000.

Now you can make the news come to you.

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

BY PHONE: (956) 728-2527

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 82

Distributor, Specialty per foods. Great products. $2,500 inventory guaranteed. Spectrum Pet Care 1-800-356-2832

Hiring BACKHOE OPERATOR. Must have a minimum of 1 year experience with oil field work and must have a CDL. Apply in person at 3905 Rotary Dr. Also hiring TIRE MAN with experience in 18 wheeler tires. Please apply in person.

Classic ‘66 Mustang 289, great interior, auto, Must Sell! $5,800 obo. (956)726-4589 ad#83007369, jose\66. Honda Accord ‘93, low milage, good running condition, 4 cilinders, economic. $2,300. Call:727-2635 Honda Accord LX ‘97, all pwr., new tires, a/c, excellent cond. blue title, 1 owner, $4,200. Call:(956)237-6017 Honda Civic ‘93, auto, a/c, 86k mi., 4dr., good tires. 2nd owner $3,000. 763-4734

Mazda 626 ‘00, 4cyl., good condition $1,600 Call: (956)286-3592 Pontiac Firebird ‘99, a/c, auto, 6 cyl., all pwr., good condition, $2,950 obo. Call(956)324-6783


4B | THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2008


<DATE>

LAREDO MORNING TIMES | 1B

REAL ESTATE

HOMES FOR SALE

61

715 Westgate between Hillside Rd. & Calton Rd. 3bd/2ba/2cg, swimming pool. 1596 sqft. L.A. 7779 sqft. Lot. Fully fenced. $149,000 Call:(956)286-0370

HOMES FOR SALE

61

3305 Saint Kathryn, 2 story 4bd/2.5ba/1cg, 1780sqft. $105,000 Call 771-4768 House for Sale by owner, 1509 Sarazen (Plantation) 3bd/2.5ba. 2,477 SqFt per WCAD. $275,500 www.buymyhouselaredo.com Please Call for an appt. 956-723-9705

Norte, Central y Sur de Laredo Casas Disponibles de 3 a 5 recamaras para mudarse el dia de HOY. Facil de Calificar. Financiamiento Disponible. Llame HOY, al 956-237-2041 O a 956-717-0958 Con Adriana Moya Tijeriana

Let me help you by putting you in your new home like if you are paying rent. You can choose a home from 3, 4 & 5 bedrooms. You can even choose the area where you want your family to grow up. Call Javier Garcia today @ 956-235-4641

Great Location-New Spacious Homes 3 Bedroom 2 bath 2 car garage approx. 1400 sq.ft. paying closing cost. Monthly payment $1100.00 Call Jesus @ cell 956-740-2542 office 956-724-9756

2 NEW SUBDIVISION IN NORTH LAREDO FROM THE $150’S & UP. RESERVE YOUR HOMESITE TODAY WITH ONLY $500.00 IN HOUSE FINANCING AVAILABLE. FOR MORE INFO. CALL ANTHONY CARABALLO @ 333-3844

Has your family outgrown your home? Good news! Your dream home is just a trade away! Call me, Eddie Rendon (956) 763-8207

MOBILE HOMES FOR SALE 67 2bd/1ba fridge/stove, CAH, $12,500 Must be Moved. Call 724-3367 Corner Lot & Moblie Home 2bd/2ba 5418 Ramirez, By Lp. 20 & Saunders fenced w/ Carport. Reduced Price $55,000 754-2141

Travel Trailer, 28 ft., furnished, $2,800 cash obo. Call:(956)251-5766

LOTS FOR SALE

North Laredo. 1.3 Acres on Loop 20 near TAMIU, next to Khaledi Heights on Blue Quail St. $12.50 Per SqFt Neg. Call Dr. Rendon 011-52-867-714-1502 or 011-52-867-715-0118 R-3, Lot & 1/3, corner, 120 W Locust and McDonell, 12,860 sq ft., $80,000.(956)725-6641.

ACREAGE FOR SALE 76

6 Acres in Crystal City, With Hwy Frontage & River Front, @ $30,000. Owner finance w/$3,000 down Call 645-9664

New house, 3bd/2ba, located near schools & shopping areas, $89,000 Call:(956)771-4209

PORQUE RENTAR cuando puede tener casa propia y al mismo tiempo calificar para un prestamo de hast $7,500.00 dlls, casas al norte y sur de laredo hableme para mas informacion, De Hoyos 956-635-6702 Shiloh- 1236 Longhorn,1950sqft, 3bd/2ba $175,000 Finance By Owner 337-6701 CONDOS FOR SALE 64

128

10.19 acres at Bonanza Hills next to Los Botines, next to Hwy. 83 North, pavedroad, electricity available, fenced, land cleared with 26x24 building. $8,300 per acre. Call:(956)724-3161. 147 Acres LaSalle County cabin Elect. deer, hogs, dove, quail $2330 acre 956-740-4849

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 82 $ Great Opportunity$ Franchise La Paletera $95,000OBO Been operating for 3yrs. Fully Equip 1212 International Blvd. Call 251-3797

Make over $50,000 per year! Total sign shop for sale w/all NEW equipment, including Roland inkjet printer/cutter, plotter, laminator, computers, customer & vendor lists, etc. Call (956)237-8310 or (956)744-2679 New Apts. (2) For Sale by Owner! 2bd/1ba, CAH, W/D Hkps, $135,000 Call 723-6896; 645-8556

PETS & SUPPLIES

PETS & SUPPLIES

128

Blue Heelers 7wks. old, $50. 2616 Sabinas Dachshund Mini Toys (Wennie dogs) m/f $200 ea. 229-4027

Mini Poodle, 1 mo. old, white brown, 1 shot, $120.00 obo. SOLD

English Bulldogs, brindle,M/F, $1,200. Call:242-9361

Female Red nose Pit Bull . 8 mo. old.$175, call 286-9603; (956)750-0141

Male Chihuahua puppy, honey colored $100. 717-1395 or 337-2283.

LIVESTOCK & SUPPLIES 130

70

5 acre tract, frontage on Casa Verde Rd. $200,000 per acre. Contact (956)725-6641

4 bedroom 2 bath approx. 1,500 sq.ft. home on a 10,000 sq.ft. lot for only $117,990 I will also help you with your closing costs let me worry about your credit. Call Luis Calderon @956-725-1965 or @ my cell 956-645-8977

PETS & SUPPLIES

HELP WANTED

122

Horse, 4.5 years old, black, $900 Call:(956)763-8748 REG. 1 1/2 yr. old APHA Colt, easy to handle, nice show prospect $1,000. Call:237-0765 REG. 2 1/2 yr. old APHA Filly started under saddle, roping prospect $1,500. Call:237-0765

DRIVERS WANTED LEASE PROGRAMNO CREDIT CHECK NO MONEY DOWN

12 month lease with option to buy + $2400 completion bonus on a ’07 Freightliner Century. Only $462 per week lease cost to drivers. Average 91 CPM (based on avg. length of haul) + fuel surcharge. Also hiring owneroperators, solo & team drivers.

866-817-9666

GATEWAY AMBULANCE HIRING EXPERIENCE EMT-B F/T APPLY AT 1308 CLARK ST. SUITE-B

Start your subscription now by calling 728-2555

GARAGE SALES

134

2Family Sale! 3020 Chestnut St. Sat.Only 8-2, Clothes, toys, elect, baby clothes & misc. Big Sale! Saturday 622 Allende 8am-5pm. Lots of housewares, home decor, Xmas decor. Estate Sale, Dec. 5 & 6, 317 E. Montgomery, 8am-4pm, furniture, housewares, clothing, etc. Garage Sale at 2619 Okane Saturday December 6th, 8am-12pm. No Early Birds! MEGA Sale, 2604 Laredo, Wed, Thurs & Fri ., 8a-5p. Clothes, magazines, books, toys, shoes & household items. Multi family garage sale. Sat & Sun 8am-1pm both days. No Early Birds! 810 Topaz Trail (tiara Subdivision) across from Divine Mercy Church. Saturday Only! 8am-12noon 237 Middle Stone Dr. (Dominion Del Mar) Household items, clothes & ladies shoes

ARTICLES FOR SALE 136 “MARIACHI POPULAR”. All Occasions. Starting @ $400 Hector Caballero 236-8905

Apple IPhone 8GB Excellent condition $225. Call 693-3927 or 724-3683 Barro para techo. $250 Inf:(956)726-4580 For sale 8 liner , Pot of Gold, starting @ $1,000 & up.Call:(956) 645-1804

HELP WANTED

122

Pride of the Brush by Pancho Farias, limited edition, color print 11x14, framed $49, Call 645-0840.

SERENATAS $30 for 3 songs, by guitarist singer. Also hourly.(956)728-8481. Seven drawer executive style desk, solid wood. $75 Call:(956)236-4092.

Sofa & Loveseat- Mocha shades $850 OBO Call 754-3097 Sofa/full single bunk bed, black metal tubing, $100 Call:(956)236-4092. Sofa, love seat, cocktail & end tables. Like new! $599 obo. Call:(956)251-5766

Vendo TV RCA 32” Digital $135 Inf. 333-5451 radio 135*829*2784 Washer & Dryer, excellent condition, white color, $350 pair. Call:(956)324-8903

MUSICAL MENTS

INSTRU138 Gibson Balwin Electric Guitar Signature Series, dark cherry wine color, new in open box. $380 call 956-324-9291

SPORTING GOODS 142

TRUCKS FOR SALE 198

Mini max 45 ACP, 6+1, Colt look alike, 3 in. barrel $375 Call:(956)235-3441. Ruger MK3, bull barrell, SIGP226, 357 SIG, stainless, night sight, $300 & up. 235-3841

‘06 Dodge Dakota, 16K Miles, Club Cab, 6 cyl, auto. $8500 OBO (956) 235-0701

‘99 Grand Caravan, 5 doors, Excellent Cond. $3200 Call 791-3607

TRANSPORTATION

Chevy Trailblazer ‘06, 3rd. seat, rear a/c, 4x4, under warranty, $14,900 Call:(956)220-2937

AUTOMOTIVE PARTS 194

Cummins 3.9 Diesel & Gas Step Vans 7 to Choose From. $4,000 and up. Call 722-3840 or 763-4840

Selling parts for 1994 4x4 Toyota.$300 & down Call:(956)635-7080 New Parts for 2003 F-250, rear bumper, tow bar, mirrors. $500 obo. Call:(956)206-1640 Selling parts for 1994 4x4 Toyota.$300 & down Call:(956)635-7080

TRUCKS FOR SALE 198 ‘00 Chevy S-10 Ext. Cab 4x4, 84Kmil., Lifted, larger tires, bedliner, brush guard, Hi-lift, $6500 Call 237-9587

‘05 Silverado Crew Cab, Good Cond. $9700 Call 645-7992

Dodge Durango ‘99, $5,300 obo, super clean, new tires, 108k mi. Call:(956)326-9997; 285-9595

Escape ‘03 Buenas Cond. 96mil. $4500 Inf: 727-6071 Ford Explorer ‘99, 4dr., 6cyl., blue title, $2,600. Call:(956)333-5451 Hunter’s Special! ‘01 Chev. Silverado 1500 Z71, 4x4, 1 owner, exc. cond., A/C, brush guard, head ache rack, $7,995, OBO 744-1414

‘91 Dodge Truck (old CPL Truck) Good Cond., $2500 OBO Call 635-8428

‘98 Ford F-150, cab 1/2, auto, v8, work truck. $2,800 (956) 635-4743

Tundra ‘03 4x4, Buenas Cond. 56Kmil., $8500 OMO Inf: 401-2344 CARS FOR SALE

200

1998 Cadillac SLS, 4d sedan, leather seats, loaded, like new,Call:(956)724-4667 or 740-8010 ‘04 GrandPrix GT special edition, 56K miles, 6 cyl. good condition, $6700 OBO Call 242-3202 or 413 Clark ‘05 Nissan Sentra, 70k miles, good condition, A/C, $5900 OBO. Call 242-3202

‘97 Mustang Cobra, clean title $7500 negotiable. 956-489-1457 Acura 2.5TL ‘98, lthr. int., sunroof, a/c, all pwr., blue title, new tires, excellent conditions, low mi., $4,500. Call(956)237-6017 Cadillac Sedan Deville ‘92, $1,000 obo. Needs work. Call:(956)220-2896.

CHRYSLER 300 Limited ‘05, fully loaded, $14,750 (956)229-2445

Must Sell, Moving Out, negotiable, 2bd/1.5ba, 2803 Bayard. Brand new, south Laredo. For sale by owner.

Call Dr. Rendon 011-52-867-714-1502 or 011-52-867-715-011

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 82

Full Country Club Membership for sale. $3,950. Call 285-1104.

1 full, 2 twin bed. Headboard frame & mattress incl $50 OBO OBO Call 286-8134 After 5pm

www.xpressdrivers.com

ARTICLES FOR SALE 136 Frigidaire washer & dryer, white, $350. Call:(956)727-3788

Pug puppies, 6wks. old,3F/1M $400ea. Call:(956) 750-1260

1 Condo $55,000.

Now you can make the news come to you.

MISCELLANEOUS

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 82

Distributor, Specialty per foods. Great products. $2,500 inventory guaranteed. Spectrum Pet Care 1-800-356-2832

Hiring BACKHOE OPERATOR. Must have a minimum of 1 year experience with oil field work and must have a CDL. Apply in person at 3905 Rotary Dr. Also hiring TIRE MAN with experience in 18 wheeler tires. Please apply in person.

Classic ‘66 Mustang 289, great interior, auto, Must Sell! $5,800 obo. (956)726-4589 ad#83007369, jose\66. Honda Accord ‘93, low milage, good running condition, 4 cilinders, economic. $2,300. Call:727-2635 Honda Accord LX ‘97, all pwr., new tires, a/c, excellent cond. blue title, 1 owner, $4,200. Call:(956)237-6017 Honda Civic ‘93, auto, a/c, 86k mi., 4dr., good tires. 2nd owner $3,000. 763-4734

Mazda 626 ‘00, 4cyl., good condition $1,600 Call: (956)286-3592 Pontiac Firebird ‘99, a/c, auto, 6 cyl., all pwr., good condition, $2,950 obo. Call(956)324-6783


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