The Zapata Times 12/29/2012

NFL ENTERS DO OR DIE TIME

SATURDAY DECEMBER 29, 2012

FREE

WEEK 16 OFFERS COWBOYS, TEXANS PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS, 1B

DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY

TO 4,000 HOMES

A HEARST PUBLICATION

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

FISCAL CLIFF

HIGHER EDUCATION

Smaller paychecks

Enrollment dips Data latest in community college trend

Without a deal, local workforce may receive less because of higher taxes

By JJ VELASQUEZ ZAPATA TIMES

Washington leaders exited a meeting Friday hopeful a deal would be reached in the coming days to avert the so-called fiscal cliff.

But a potential failure of

the Congress to agree on a measure would mean higher tax rates for all taxpayers, and as President Obama said in a Friday afternoon address on the talks, the American public is growing weary.

“America wonders why it

By JJ VELASQUEZ LAREDO MORNING TIMES

Laredo Community College’s enrollment decrease this fall could be worse than first thought.

Laredo Morning Times reported last week that LCC experienced a 6.9 percent drop in its student body this term, its largest decline in at least 19 years.

Those not-yet-certified numbers were based on a headcount the college submits to the state for approval.

But still-preliminary figures from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board released this week indicate the drop-off between the college’s fall 2011 numbers and those from this fall was 7.1 percent.

According to the preliminary data, LCC experienced the third-highest rate of reduction among nine colleges and college districts in South Texas.

About 8,370 fewer students studied in South Texas community colleges this fall than did in the previous fall term, the figures show.

See COLLEGE PAGE 9A

COUNTY

SHERIFF LEAVES LEGACY Lawman retires after 18 ½ years

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ LAREDO MORNING TIMES

Vocal. Straightforward. Fearless.

Those are perhaps the three words that sum up a South Texas lawman whose commentary has taken him to testify before state and federal officials.

Dec. 31 is the last day Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez Jr. will hold that position. He only has words of gratitude to his family and county residents who entrusted their security to him, he said.

“The sheriff has been his entire adult life serving the residents of the Zapata community,” said County Judge Joe Rathmell, praising the distinguished career Gonzalez has had. “For a small county, the sheriff is well known as a leader throughout the nation. He put Zapata County at the forefront.”

Rathmell added Gonzalez will be missed not only as a person, but as a leader in the community.

Gonzalez, appointed sheriff July 25, 1994, took a shattered office surrounded by public scandal and corruption. Even after taking office, corruption at one point tried to reach him. On one occasion, a person offered up to $25,000 to release an inmate. Gonzalez told the person he could get a “good damn lawyer” with that money.

Gonzalez decided to run the office differently — adding honesty, ethics, morals and values to the list.

Photo by César G. Rodriguez | Laredo Morning Times

Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez Jr. poses for a picture Dec. 20 inside his office. Gonzalez will retire at the end of the year. He has served the Zapata community almost his entire life and has played a role in voicing border issues before state and federal officials. about how I criticize, sometimes, law enforcement agencies that don’t do those things.”

Unofficially, as he describes it, Gonzalez, 56, started working with the sheriff ’s office when he was in high school. He would work the weekends as dispatcher and jailer. He eventually moved up to become a deputy sheriff. In

“I figured I’d probably be sheriff for one term and would be voted out of office. But here (I am) 18 ½ years later, and I decided I want to retire,” Gonzalez said.

“Our duty as police officers is to protect people’s rights. That’s why I’m passionate about law enforcement and passionate about the work that I do and passionate

1981, he became the first investigator for the county attorney’s office.

Among his achievements, Gonzalez is the past-chairman of the Texas Border Sheriff ’s Coalition and the vice-chairman of the Southwestern Border Sheriff ’s Coalition. He is an adjunct instructor at the South Texas Bor-

der Regional Police Academy at Laredo Community College and is the president of the Regional Police Academy Advisory Board.

With a limited budget, Gonzalez has found in state and federal grants means to equip the office with the utmost technology. The

See SHERIFF PAGE 9A

Ex-worker sentenced for bank fraud

By ZACH BROOKE ZAPATA TIMES

A former BBVA Compass Bank employee was sentenced Thursday to 36 months in prison for defrauding the company of $5.6 million over a threeyear period.

Attorneys for Compass Bank said the theft was the biggest in the bank’s history.

Originally charged with 73 counts, Celina Villarreal, 37, pleaded guilty in October 2011 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to launder money.

According to her plea agreement, Villarreal

worked as an international bank officer when she improperly manipulated $8.3 million from customer accounts. Court records state that Villarreal opened unauthorized lines of credit and raided certificates of deposit accounts of several customers and funneled the money to the accounts of several acquaintances.

The net loss to Compass Bank was found to be $5.6 million. Villarreal was ordered Thursday to pay $6.9 million in restitution.

Compass Bank attorney Sarah Santos said the bank had recovered around $1.1 million of the stolen money and would auction off several addi-

“

I will never understand why your companions aren’t standing here with you,” JUDGE GEORGE KAZEN

tional repossessed assets, including a Ferrari, a Mustang and a boat with a launch trailer. Santos estimated that around $900,000 of that would be applied to Villarreal’s debt.

Despite that, U.S District Judge George Kazen remained doubtful that

even half of the stolen money could ever be repaid.

“You probably won’t come anywhere near that,” Kazen said.

Kazen also sentenced Villarreal to complete three years probation and 150 hours of community

service following her release. He recommended Villarreal undergo mental health counseling during her incarceration.

Since being charged, Villarreal was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder.

Although Villarreal was the only person facing criminal charges in the case, 13 businesses and individuals were ordered to pay restitution in a separate judgment for a civil action issued Dec. 18.

Three additional defendants settled with Compass Bank in June 2010.

Kazen, who also presided over the civil case, ruled that except for attor-

ney fees, any money reclaimed from parties named in the civil suit be applied to Villarreal’s debt. He also ordered that Villarreal’s outstanding balance be charged with 5 percent annual interest.

On Thursday, Kazen expressed shock that Villarreal was the only person in the case that was facing criminal charges.

“I will never understand why your companions aren’t standing here with you,” he said.

A spokesperson for Compass Bank declined to comment on the sentencing. ( Zach Brooke may be reached at 728-2538 or zbrooke@lmtonline.com)

PAGE 2A

Zin brief CALENDAR

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

AROUND THE NATION

TODAY IN HISTORY

MONDAY, DEC. 31

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Epoca de Oro Social Club will host a dance at the Laredo Civic Center from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., with music

by Leo Martinez and Premier USA. Tickets are $20 pre-sale and will be available at the Holiday Inn on Dec. 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Dec. 31 and the Civic Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets at the door will be $25.

For more information, call 723-9809 or 724-8702.

TUESDAY, JAN. 1 The board of the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce meets from noon until 1 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 2 The board of the Zapata County Fair Association meets from 6:30-8 p.m. The location of the meeting is to be announced.

The Alzheimer’s support group will meet at 7 p.m. in Meeting Room 2, Building B of the Laredo Medical Center. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s.

THURSDAY, JAN. 3 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club will meet at the Laredo Country Club from 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call Beverly Cantu at 727-0589.

SATURDAY, JAN. 5 The Laredo Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) is offering a free tax-training course on Saturday, Jan. 5 and Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013 at the Goodwill Job Help Center. Training classes consist of two Saturday trainings starting 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call 726-4462 to register for the free training. Community volunteers train to attain IRS volunteer tax preparer certification for the upcoming 2013 tax season. VITA volunteers do free tax preparation at no cost to families or individuals making up to $50,000.

TUESDAY, JAN. 8 Kiwanis Club of Laredo meets weekly from noon to 1 p.m. Guest speakers usually are on tap. New members are welcomed. For info, call Memo Cavazos at 956-337-2266.

Local AARP Chapter 965 will hold its monthly meeting at 2 p.m. at the Laredo Public Library, 1120 Calton Road. The meeting is open to persons over the age of 50. General topics of discussion center on senior citizens concerns, safety and Social Security.

For more information, call Jorge Castillo at 956-286-6084.

SUNDAY, JAN. 13 The Laredo Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is offering a free tax-training course on Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Goodwill Job Help Center. Training classes consist of two Saturday trainings starting 8:30 am to 5:30 p.m. Call 726-4462 to register for the free training. Community volunteers train to attain IRS volunteer tax preparer certification for the 2013 tax season. VITA volunteers do free tax preparation at no cost to families or individuals making up to $50,000.

FRIDAY, JAN. 25 The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show “Force5” at 6 p.m. and “The Future is Wild” at 7 p.m. General admission is $4 children and $5 adults. For more information, call 956326-3663.

SATURDAY, JAN. 26 The Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will show “Attack of the Space Pirates” at 3 p.m.; “Extreme Planets” at 4 p.m.; and “Wonders of the Universe” at 5 p.m. General admission is $4 children and $5 adults. For more information, call 956-326-3663.

TUESDAY, JAN. 29 Kiwanis Club of Laredo meets weekly from noon to 1 p.m. Guest speakers usually are on tap. New members are welcomed. For info, call 956-337-2266.

THURSDAY, MARCH 21 The Falcon Slam Bassmaster Elite Tournament returns to Falcon Lake.

To submit an item for the calendar, send the name of the event, the date, time, location and contact phone number to editorial@lmtonline.com.

Photo by Charles Dharapak | AP

President Barack Obama speaks to reporters in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington after meeting with Congressional leaders regarding the fiscal cliff on Friday, Dec. 28. He called for “immediate action” and remained optimistic about a deal being made.

Obama talks fiscal cliff

By DAVID ESPO & JIM KUHNHENN ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — The end game at hand, the White House and Senate leaders took a final stab at compromise Friday night to prevent middle-class tax increases from taking effect at the turn of the new year and possibly prevent sweeping spending cuts as well.

"I’m optimistic we may still be able to reach an agreement that can pass both houses in time," President Barack Obama said at the White House after meeting for more than an hour with congressional leaders.

Surprisingly, after weeks of postelection gridlock, Senate leaders sounded even more bullish.

The Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said he was "hopeful and

Report: Hazing rules ignored before death TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A blistering state report released Friday contends that Florida A&M University officials failed to follow state laws and regulations on hazing in the years leading up to the death of a FAMU drum major.

A 32-page report from the Florida Board of Governors inspector general’s office concludes that the school lacked internal controls to prevent or detect hazing, citing a lack of communication among top university officials, the police department and the office responsible for disciplining students.

But investigators said there was insufficient evidence to conclude whether university officials ignored allegations of hazing given to them by the former director of The Marching 100 band shortly before the 2011 death of Robert Champion.

Larry Robinson, FAMU’s interim president, said the univer-

optimistic" of a deal, adding he hoped a compromise could be presented to rank-and-file lawmakers as early as Sunday, a little more than 24 hours before the year-end deadline.

Said Majority Leader Harry Reid: "I’m going to do everything I can" to prevent the tax increases and spending cuts that threaten to send the economy into recession. He cautioned the deal would be imperfect.

Officials said there was a general understanding that any agreement would block scheduled income tax increases for middle class earners while letting rates rise at upper income levels.

Democrats said Obama was sticking to his campaign call for increases above $250,000 in annual income, even though he said he could accept $400,000.

The two sides also confronted a divide over estate taxes.

sity would officially review the report for any inaccuracies, but noted there were no new incidents. Still, he said the university would use the report to take appropriate steps to prevent future hazing incidents.

Senate moves toward completion of Sandy bill WASHINGTON — The Senate is moving towards completion of a $60.4 billion aid package for victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Democrats on Friday had to turn back GOP efforts to cut programs such as $150 million in fisheries aid that Republican lawmakers said was unrelated to the storm that hammered the East Coast late in October.

The bill faces uncertain prospects in the House, where GOP leaders appear reluctant to move quickly on a big spending bill in the final days of a lame duck session. Lawmakers’ attention is focused on talks over the so-called fiscal cliff of tax hikes and automatic spending cuts set to begin next year unless a compromise is

worked out.

Senate Republicans want a smaller package of about $24 billion in aid.

Mayor: Keep perspective in 2 NY subway deaths NEW YORK — For New York City, it wasn’t an unusual sight: a possibly mentally ill woman pacing and mumbling to herself on an elevated subway station platform.

The woman eventually took a seat on a bench Thursday night, witnesses later said. Then, without any warning or provocation, she sprang up and used both hands to shove a man into the path of an oncoming train.

As police sought on Friday to locate the unidentified woman, Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged residents to keep the second fatal subway shove in the city this month in perspective.

"It’s a very tragic case, but what we want to focus on today is the overall safety in New York," Bloomberg told reporters.

— Compiled from AP reports

AROUND TEXAS Chief: Austin had ‘bloody year’ of traffic deaths AUSTIN — The police chief in Austin says there’s no excuse for the highest number of traffic deaths the city has seen since 2000.

Austin has recorded 77 traffic deaths this year, up from 54 last year.

Art Acevedo told the Austin American-Statesman that 2012 was "a bloody year on our highways. There is no excuse for it.

We can’t sit back."

Coin flip decides Seguin city council race SEGUIN — The only thing separating two city council candidates near San Antonio is a coin flip.

Jeannette "Jet" Crabb and Ben Amador were both running for city council in Seguin.

They finished tied after a Dec. 18 runoff, 141-141.

Today is Saturday, Dec. 29, the 364th day of 2012. There are two days left in the year.

Today’s highlights in history: On Dec. 29, 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, crashed into the Florida Everglades near Miami International Airport, killing 101 of the 176 people aboard. (Investigators determined that the crew was distracted by a burned-out indicator light, and failed to notice that the autopilot had become disengaged, sending the plane into a slow descent leading to the late-night crash.)

On this date: In 1170, Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was slain in Canterbury Cathedral by knights loyal to King Henry II. In 1808, the 17th president of the United States, Andrew Johnson, was born in Raleigh, N.C. In 1845, Texas was admitted as the 28th state.

In 1890, the Wounded Knee massacre took place in South Dakota as an estimated 300 Sioux Indians were killed by U.S. troops sent to disarm them.

In 1916, Grigory Rasputin, the so-called “Mad Monk” who’d wielded great influence with Czar Nicholas II, was killed by a group of Russian noblemen in St. Petersburg.

In 1940, during World War II, Germany dropped incendiary bombs on London, setting off what came to be known as “The Second Great Fire of London.”

In 1957, singers Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme were married in Las Vegas.

In 1975, a bomb exploded in the main terminal of New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing 11 people.

In 1986, former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan died at his home south of London at age 92.

Ten years ago: Secretary of State Colin Powell, making the rounds of the Sunday TV talk shows, said there was still time to find a diplomatic resolution to North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons, and that the situation hadn’t yet reached the crisis stage.

Five years ago: Australian David Hicks, the first person convicted at an American war crimes trial since World War II, was freed from prison in Adelaide after completing a U.S.-imposed sentence. The New England Patriots ended their regular season with a remarkable 16-0 record following a 38-35 comeback victory over the New York Giants.

One year ago: Fed-up voters in Jamaica threw out the ruling party and delivered a landslide triumph to the opposition People’s National Party and its leader, former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.

Today’s birthdays: Actress Inga Swenson is 80. ABC newscaster Tom Jarriel is 78.

Actress Mary Tyler Moore is 76. Actress Barbara Steele is 75. Actor Jon Voight is 74.

Country singer Ed Bruce is 73.

Rock musician Ray Thomas is 71. Singer Marianne Faithfull is 66. Jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr. is 66. Actor Ted Danson is 65.

Actor Jon Polito is 62. Actress Patricia Clarkson is 53.

Thought for today: “Ours is the age of substitutes: Instead of language we have jargon; instead of principles, slogans; and instead of genuine ideas, bright suggestions.”

— Eric Bentley, Britishborn American author and educator.

CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Business Manager, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 324-1226 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Copy Editor, Nick Georgiou ....................... 728-2565 Managing Editor, Mary Nell Sanchez........... 728-2543 Sports Editor, Adam Geigerman..................728-2578 Spanish Editor ........................................ 728-2569 Photo by Andrew D. Brosig/The Daily Sentinel | AP

In this Dec. 20, file photo, clerk Lance McCoy, right, shows weapons at Kizer Guns and Ammo near Nacogdoches. Demand for firearms, ammunition and bulletproof gear has jumped since the Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

So city Mayor Don Keil decided the race Thursday by flipping a coin.

Crabb and Amador each received slips of paper — one that said "heads," one with "tails."

Then Keil threw a silver dollar in the air.

It landed on the table as tails.

Crabb won.

She was immediately sworn in to begin a four-year term.

The Texas Election Code allows ties to be settled by a "casting of lots."

— Compiled from AP reports

SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted.

The Zapata Times is free.

The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500.

The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net

State

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A

Spokesman: Health of Records: Dewhurst H.W. Bush ‘improving’ aide stole money

By MICHAEL GRACZYK

By PAUL J. WEBER

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOUSTON — Former President George H.W. Bush remained in intensive care at a Houston hospital on Friday but his condition continues to improve, a spokesman said.

“The President is alert and, as always, in good spirits — and his exchanges with doctors and nurses now include singing,” family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a brief statement.

The 88-year-old Bush, the nation’s oldest living former president, was admitted at Methodist Hospital in Houston on Nov. 23 because of a bronchitis-related cough, after spending about a week there earlier in November for the same condition.

The cough was mostly resolved by the time he was moved to intensive care on Sunday for treatment of a fever that doctors were having difficulty controlling.

“The Bushes thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes and, like their doctors, are cautiously optimistic that the current course of treatment will be effective,” McGrath said.

On Thursday, a longtime Bush aide tried to quell concern about Bush’s condition by saying the former president likely would advise well-wishers to “put the harps back in the closet.”

Jean Becker, Bush’s Houston chief of staff, said the former president would likely be in the hospital for a while, noting his age and that “he had a terrible case of bronchitis which then triggered a series of complications.”

Becker said “most of the civilized world” contacted her after word spread that Bush had been placed in in-

Photo by Charles Krupa | AP

In a Tuesday, June 12 file photo, former President George H.W. Bush, and former first lady Barbara Bush are shown. tensive care unit.

“Someday President George H.W. Bush might realize how beloved he is, but of course one of the reasons why he is so beloved is because he has no idea,” Becker said in the at-times lighthearted statement that made multiple references to jokes and the former president’s sense of humor.

Updates on his health are being limited out of respect for the family, she said.

The family had hoped Bush would have been well enough to spend Christmas at home. His cough eased, but he developed a persistent fever. His condition has since been downgraded to “guarded.”

The former president has been visited by family and friends, including longtime friend James Baker III, his former Secretary of State. Bush’s daughter, Dorothy, arrived Wednesday from her home in Bethesda, Md. Other visitors have included his sons George W. Bush, the 43rd president,

and Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor.

Bush and his wife, Barbara, live in Houston during the winter and spend their summers at a home in Kennebunkport, Maine.

Bush, the 41st president, had served two terms as Ronald Reagan’s vice president when he was elected in 1988. Four years later, after a term highlighted by the success of the 1991 Gulf War in Kuwait, he lost to Democrat Bill Clinton amid voters’ concerns about the economy.

Bush was a naval aviator in World War II — at one point the youngest in the Navy — and was shot down over the Pacific. He’s skydived on at least three of his birthdays since leaving the White House, most recently when he turned 85.

Bush, also a former U.S. ambassador to China and CIA director, suffers from a form of Parkinson’s disease that forced him in recent years to use a motorized scooter or wheelchair for mobility.

AUSTIN — Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst says hundreds of thousands of dollars were stolen from his political bankroll by his campaign manager, a prominent Republican consultant who faces the accusations just one month after defaulting on a $506,000 settlement with a land developer that has been owed four times that amount for years, an attorney said Friday.

Dewhurst has accused Kenneth Barfield, who ran Dewhurst’s unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid, of funneling money "for his personal benefit." The allegations were made in newly revised state filings that show the Dewhurst campaign with $700,000 less than originally reported.

The revelation came a month after Barfield failed to pay the latest in multiple defaulted settlements with S&K Development Company Inc., said Curtis Kurhajec, an attorney for the developer.

A state district judge in 2009 awarded S&K Development a $2.2 million judgment against Barfield and his defunct companies for not delivering on a loan, according to court records.

Neither Barfield, 56, nor his attorney, Brian Casey, immediately returned phone messages Friday.

Prosecutors also confirmed Friday they have opened an investigation surrounding Barfield, who has not been charged.

PAC filing The David Dewhurst Committee submitted an amended filing with the Texas Ethics Commission last week. Whereas the political action committee originally reported about $770,000 cash on hand in July, a revised copy of the same report now indicates less than $7,300 in the account.

"The misrepresentation of contribution balances was directly related to the misappropriation of committee funds to (Barfield’s) own account, for his own personal benefit," the filing reads.

The allegations surrounding the missing funds were first reported by The Dallas Morning News.

S&K Development originally gave Barfield and his companies about $1.7 million, which Kurhajec told The Associated Press was for a development project in Colorado that never broke ground. Kur-

hajec said Barfield again defaulted on the latest settlement — $506,000 that was due Nov. 1.

During the three-year legal fight, the company accused Barfield in court filings of having a "history of failing to disclose all his bank accounts" and moving money around. That includes $30,000 he was reportedly paid each month by the David Dewhurst Committee, according to court records.

Holly Taylor, a Travis County assistant district attorney, said Friday her office has opened an investigation surrounding Barfield but said she could not comment on the scope or allegations.

"I don’t know that it’s set in stone," she said.

Rob Johnson, a Dewhurst spokesman, said the lieutenant governor was shocked by the alleged actions of a "trusted" former senior adviser and said the campaign would work with investigators.

"The level of betrayal is stunning," Johnson said.

State races The allegations involve Dewhurst’s PAC for his state races, and not the funds used to finance his expensive but unsuccessful bid to replace outgoing Republican U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Dewhurst lost to tea party insurgent Ted Cruz despite spending nearly $20 million of his own fortune.

Barfield’s name is on Dewhurst’s federal campaign filings, too. The Dewhurst for Senate Committee last reported that it was more than $813,000 in debt.

Barfield signed the last campaign filing with the Federal Election Commissions as the campaign treasurer on Sept.

30.

According to FEC records, Barfield donated the maximum $5,000 to Dewhurst’s campaign for the primary and the runoff.

State campaign finance records show that Barfield’s consulting group, Alexander Group Consulting, has been paid nearly $5 million by the Dewhurst campaign since 2009.

That year, according to court documents, Barfield listed on tax returns $15,393 in total reported business income.

In 2011, Barfield listed two liens on his home totaling more than $1.5 million, and stated he owned a condo in Alabama and a boat valued at $16,500, court documents show.

PAGE 4A

Zopinion

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

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

OTHER VIEWS

Long career, moment of stupidity AUSTIN — They buried Hilmar Moore of Richmond, Texas, this month.

Moore, 92, had been mayor of his small town near Houston since 1949, winning 32 elections and earning acclaim as the longest continuously serving elected public official in the United States.

Amazing. Call me if you know of any who’ve served longer (and, as I have, please resist snarkinfested references to Rick Perry). The best I’ve come up with is Mayor John Land of Apopka, Fla. (Apopka is fun to say, isn’t it?) Land, 92, served from 1949 until he was defeated in 1968. He mounted a successful comeback in 1970 and has served since then for a total of 61 years, though interrupted.

Moore’s fame crossed great bodies of water. This year, the BBC interviewed him about his longevity.

In Moore’s life there is a lesson about the value of public service. And there’s another lesson: If you’re going to say something monumentally dumb, it’s best to cloak it in a long life of public service.

When I heard he’d died, I remembered Moore once said something nutty, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. A line in his paid obit about serving years ago as chairman of the Texas Board of Human Resources put me on track, but the Internet offered no immediate clues.

So I headed downstairs to the dark cage where we store old clippings. It’s scary down there. There should be eerie organ music.

I found this in a Feb. 27, 1979, Associated Press story: “The chairman of the Texas Board of Human Resources says a person should lose the right to have children if he or she

“

KEN HERMAN

can’t support them — much as a prisoner loses rights by breaking society’s rules.”

“I’ve always felt when you cannot support yourself or your family that you give up certain rights,” Moore had told reporters. “One of these is bringing in more children. ... I think it’s a right you give up and if you don’t want to give that up, get a job and get off of welfare.”

Subsequent articles quoted Moore saying, “If I were in complete charge, I would tell welfare clients they should practice birth control. If they had another child then I would favor mandatory sterilization.”

Moore eventually said it was just a concept, something he knew never could become law. Nevertheless, howls of protest ensued. And, because we are Texas, there also was support for Moore’s idea, noted back then by Joseph Fiorenza, then San Angelo’s Catholic bishop.

“There are evidently many people writing letters to editors and to Mr. Moore agreeing with him,” Fiorenza said at the time. “We felt that we had an obligation to speak on behalf of poor people whose human rights would be violated if his suggestion became public policy.”

There can be nobody around today who agrees with Moore’s noxious, long-ago comments on this particular thing. (If you’re reading this online, please feel free to use the comments section below to prove me wrong.)

EDITORIAL

Court shows gender bias CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Being physically attractive, research has shown, pays off in career terms.

As a rule, a good-looking person finds it easier to get a job and gets more raises than someone on the homely side. It may be unfair, but a pleasing appearance is usually a financial asset.

That fact won’t be much comfort to Melissa Nelson, a dental assistant whose experience is quite the opposite. The 32-yearold married mother of two had worked more than a decade for dentist James Knight — who said she was the best assistant he ever had. But in 2010, he fired her because he found her to be, in the words of the Iowa Supreme Court, an “irresistible attraction.”

Knight says he was sometimes distracted by apparel that showed off her figure too well. Nelson, for her part, says she wore scrubs, and never dressed inappropriately.

If anyone misbehaved in this case, it seems to have been the dentist, not the assistant. He admitted he once told her that, as

the court noted, “if she saw his pants bulging, she would know her clothing was too revealing.” He said her failure to have frequent sex was “like having a Lamborghini in the garage and never driving it.”

Nelson said she never encouraged sexual thoughts and comments from Knight, whom she regarded as a “friend and father figure.”

But the Iowa Supreme Court ruled unanimously that even if Knight behaved badly, he didn’t engage in sex discrimination. The dismissal, the justices found, was “driven entirely by individual feelings and emotions regarding a specific person.”

Knight’s decision to get rid of Nelson to protect his marriage, however innocent her conduct may have been, is legally permissible.

This is one of those cases where the specifics of the law seem to be at odds with basic fairness.

If Knight wasn’t guilty of discrimination, he was certainly guilty of being a creep and a boor — not to mention a tightwad.

EDITORIAL

Lawmakers should act on wounds from 2009 recession CHICAGO TRIBUNE

The respectfully nicknamed Great Recession officially ended in June 2009, and the wounds from that economic collapse have been slow to heal. Yet even a robust recovery, as the nation experienced after the double-dip recessions of the early 1980s, would have helped only so much.

Inevitably, human pain lingers.

Using decades of Social Security records, academic researchers have shown that workers who lose their jobs in mass layoffs suffer deep, persistent losses in their incomes and living standards. Losing a job nearly always hurts (we’ll make allowances for people who were planning to quit). But it hurts much more to lose a job during hard times, such as 198082, or 2007-09.

Even in relative good times, laid-off workers take a huge financial hit as a result of their involuntary job losses. In a recent study, scholars at the University of Chicago and Columbia University found that men ages 50 and under who were laid off when the nation’s unemployment rate stood below 6 percent could expect to lose the equivalent of 1.4 years of income over the rest of their working lives.

That’s money they otherwise could have expected to earn had they been able

“

That ongoing failure to negotiate a settlement risks just what millions of Americans fear: a new recession while they’re still struggling…

to continue on their former career trajectories, before layoffs forced them to take jobs that paid less.

And when the unemployment rate exceeds 8 percent, as it did from early 2009 until this September, those thrown out of work lose a staggering 2.8 years of income over the rest of their working lives.

These insights help explain why demand is unusually high - three years after the Great Recession formally ended — for emergency food and shelter.

Across the U.S., the number of homeless and hungry people is growing, according to a recent survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

All of us have heard story after story about how families long rooted in the middle class have found themselves without a roof over their heads. More than half of the cities, including Chicago, reported that homelessness had in-

creased.

Requests for emergency food assistance rose from the previous year in 21 of the 25 cities surveyed, again including Chicago.

Food pantries in almost every city surveyed have had to cut the amount of food they distribute to each person. That’s a practical effect of rising demand and reduced supplies, partly as a result of higher food prices. Food pantries put less in each bag of groceries they give away, and cap the number of monthly visits they allow each family. Soup kitchens cut the size of the meals they serve.

Each of us can step up to offer at least some help, even in - especially in - a season when charity appeals have to compete with hefty credit card bills and daunting holiday expenses. The need is real. Yes, Americans have been hearing about the growing need all around them for years now. It is tempting to give in to recession fa-

tigue, more difficult to acknowledge that homelessness and hunger don’t take winter vacations.

As a nation of individuals, we Americans can do better — and we shouldn’t be relying on our local, state and federal governments to meet every human need. Opening presents was enjoyable, but it didn’t signal that the need for giving has passed. At this time of year, in this economy, the persistence of homelessness and hunger testify that needs abound.

Given the suffering that continues as this recovery limps along, it was maddening to see President Barack Obama and a divided Congress head off for their holiday breaks with no deal in place to avert the "fiscal cliff" — some $500 billion of 2013 spending cuts and tax increases slated to take effect Tuesday.

That ongoing failure to negotiate a settlement risks just what millions of Americans fear: a new recession while they’re still struggling to escape the effects of the last.

At the rate our elected politicians in Washington are going, the U.S. may ring in the new year with tax hikes on every working American, and the serious threat that joblessness again will spike.

Mr. President, members of Congress, get to work.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters.

To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The

phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication.

We want to assure our

readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms.

Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-call-

DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed.

Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.

State

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

State builds domes

By JUAN A. LOZANO ASSOCIATED PRESS

EDNA — Most of the time, the windowless building with the domeshaped roof will be a typical high school gymnasium filled with cheering fans watching basketball and volleyball games.

But come hurricane season, the structure that resembles a miniature version of the famed Astrodome will double as a hurricane shelter, part of an ambitious storm-defense system that is taking shape along hundreds of miles of the Texas Gulf Coast.

Its brawny design — including double-layer cinder-block walls reinforced by heavy duty steel bars and cement piers that plunge 30 feet into the ground — should allow it to withstand winds up to 200 mph.

“There is nothing standard” about the building, said Bob Wells, superintendent of the Edna school district, as he stood inside the $2.5 million gym, which is set to be completed by March. “The only standard stuff is going to be the stuff we do inside.”

The Edna dome is one of 28 such buildings planned to protect sick, elderly and special-needs residents who might be unable to evacuate ahead of a hurricane. First-responders and local leaders will also be able to take refuge in the domes, allowing them to begin recovery efforts faster after a storm has passed.

Storm-defense structures are getting increased attention in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which inflicted heavy damage on the East Coast in October.

The city of New York, for instance, is considering a multi-billion-dollar system of sea barriers.

For Texas, a state always in danger during hurricane season, the domes offer the extra benefit of serving as recreation or community centers

THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A

Rocket scientist’s son shapes students’ minds

By MELISSA MONTOYA THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Photo by David J. Phillip | AP

In this Dec. 6 photo, Bob Wells, superintendent of the Edna ISD, talks about their new domed gym under construction. when not needed as shelters. They are being erected with help from the federal Emergency Management Agency.

“I think it’s good for FEMA, and I think it’s good for us. And I think it’s good for the taxpayers,” Wells said.

The gym in Edna, a town of 5,500 people about 100 miles southwest of Houston, is the second hurricane dome in Texas.

The first was built in 2011 in Woodsboro, near Corpus Christi. Most of the domes will be around 20,000 square feet.

The plan calls for structures in 11 counties in the Rio Grande Valley, around Corpus Christi and along the coast from Victoria to Newton counties, said Tom Vinger, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.

So far, $34.5 million has been awarded.

This month, FEMA approved funds for a hurricane dome that will serve as a community center in Brownsville, one that will serve as a wellness center and physical rehabilitation facility in Bay City and two that will serve as mul-

ti-purpose training centers in Kingsville.

Inside the gym in Edna, Wells’ voice echoed as he pointed to the ceiling, which has layers of sprayed-on concrete, insulation and rebar, all of which are under a heavy duty fabric that gives the structure its distinctive wind-resistant shape.

The doorways are covered by awnings of heavy gauge metal and supported by concrete girders.

FEMA is paying for 75 percent of the dome structures, with local communities picking up the remaining cost.

The funding is part of the agency’s initiative to help homeowners and communities build hardened shelters that provide protection from extreme weather.

Nationwide, more than $683 million has been awarded in 18 states, including Texas, Alabama, Michigan and South Carolina.

Walking around the gym, Wells said it reminded him of when, as a teenager, he first walked into the Astrodome after it opened in 1965 in Houston.

BROWNSVILLE — When a student walks into sculpture studio at the UTBTSC campus, they can expect to be challenged — critically and artistically — by Professor Angel Cabrales.

That’s because Cabrales wants students to think while creating art.

In any given semester, he expects to have 45 to 50 students who are assigned projects that require them to incorporate in their pieces an assortment of unexpected materials, including objects like rocks and palm trees. In one assignment, he sets the parameters so students can raise awareness for an issue they think is important.

Cabrales, in the Visual Art Department at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, said he wants his students to begin thinking about art in three dimensions, while at the same time using their creativity to apply different materials in their final pieces.

“Anything and everything is sculpture material,” Cabrales said. “They can make art with anything.”

For Cabrales, 39, an art career wasn’t always something he envisioned for himself.

As a college student at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, he looked upon a future as a geochemist.

“My dad is literally a rocket scientist,” said Cabrales, who keeps a picture of a Patriot missile in his office. “I ended up being a geochemistry major and after two years of taking that, I decided I was always happiest when I was drawing or making artwork.”

He decided to changed courses, lost his science scholarship and transferred to Arizona State University, where he studied sculpture.

Back home, his scientist father was upset, Cabrales said. But later, the artist remembers, his father paid him a compliment upon seeing his artwork. “I can see the math in it,” his father said, according to Cabrales.

“After that, he was really supportive,” the artist said.

Today, he’s a teacher who knows the importance of technical expertise. Beginning sculptors — artistic sorts — might not realize math and science are needed to carve or create a design they’ve had in their head, Cabrales said. In fact, some students say they became artists because they were not good at math, he added.

“Well, you use a lot of it, and there’s a lot of critical thinking,” the teacher said.

On a recent afternoon, Cabrales’ current students worked on projects in the Rusteberg sculpture studio, while listening to the music of rock band The Doors. Sculpting is

Photo by Brad Doherty/The Brownsville Herald | AP

In this Thursday, Nov. 29 file photo, art professor Angel Cabrales speaks to his Sculpture II class. a time-consuming process, and the teacher encourages his students to use the studio outside of class hours.

The allotted six hours of week reserved for classes is simply not enough, he said.

“They have access to come in here and work, and that’s one thing that I’ve really liked,” Cabrales said. “They’ve kind of formed their own community.”

Art in the class isn’t a solitary experience. The students even exhibit their artwork together.

Recently, students have been elated with the result of their exhibition, “All the Light Moves,” which was unveiled the night before at the Medusa Lounge and Patio Bar. Bianca Camarillo, a junior in the Sculpture I class, was surprised by the encouraging responses from those who attended the art showing.

“I didn’t expect that many people to be amazed,” the 21-year-old said.

Cabrales can relate to the students’ feelings.

Although the path to an art career can be arduous, Cabrales wants his students to know the effort is worth all the hard work and sacrifices it takes. After all, when he was an undergraduate art student, Cabrales had bought materials for his projects with the money his mother sent him for food.

“My mom would tell me, ’Well, now you have to eat the steel because I’m not sending you any more money,’“ Cabrales said.

In his lessons, Cabrales doesn’t share his political views with his students. He only tries to plant seeds of thought so they can realize that art is an effective way of spreading ideas to others.

6A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

S˜ÁBADO 29 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2012

Zfrontera SERVICIO

Agenda en Breve

Casi el 100%

SÁBADO 29 DE DICIEMBRE LAREDO— ‘Home for the Holidays Comedy Jam’ presenta “Ha-Ha-Happy Holiday” con Victor ‘Speedy’ González, Jay LaFarr y Ponchi Herrera a las 8 p.m. en Laredo Little Theater, 4802 avenida Thomas. Costo: 25 dólares por persona (evento para audiencia madura).

DOMINGO 30 DE DICIEMBRE NUEVO LAREDO, México — Baloncesto: Toros vs Abejas en Gimnasio de la Nueva Ciudad Deportiva a las 5 p.m.

PÁGINA 7A

TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Al concluir 2012, estadísticas muestran que Tamaulipas cuenta con 98.5 por ciento de servicio de agua potable, y 87.5 por ciento de cobertura en servicio de alcantarillado.

Tan solo la actual administración estatal ha invertido 206.01 millones de pesos para la realización de 97 obras en 29 municipios.

“Este año se realizaron 29 obras consideradas prioritarias y con

JAIME FELIPE CANO PÉREZ: Dijo que en 2013 continuará la inversión para cubrir el Estado.

ello se benefició a los habitantes de 14 municipios quienes se sumaron a este servicio”, dijo Jaime Felipe Cano Pérez, Director General de la Comisión Estatal del Agua (CEAT).

Cano explicó que el objetivo del CEAT es “consolidar el próximo año a Tamaulipas como uno de los

estados que a nivel nacional tenga la más alta cobertura en la prestación del servicio de agua potable”.

Aunado a mayor cobertura del servicio de agua, la idea es conservar su estado de calidad, agregó.

La calidad del agua se ha logrado a través del programa “Agua limpia”, cuya inversión fue de 1 millón 96 mil pesos.

“Este programa garantizó beneficios para 1.500 localidades de 40 municipios”, dijo Cano.

Se llevaron obras como la cons-

trucción de 10 estructuras de protección, la instalación de 47 cloradores, el suministro de 61 toneladas de cloro y 3.000 acciones de monitoreo.

“Esto garantizó de manera evidente una buena calidad del agua para el consumo humano”, sostuvo Cano.

Aclaró que durante el 2013 se seguirá la inversión en el rubro a fin de que continúe la conservación de la calidad del agua en todo Tamaulipas.

SALUD

TEXAS

TURISMO MÉDICO

Contralora informa sobre seminarios

LUNES 31 DE DICIEMBRE LAREDO— Época de Oro Social Club invita a su baile en Laredo Civic Center, de 9 p.m. a 1 p.m., con la música de Leo Martínez y Premier USA. Boletos: 20 dólares en pre-venta y en la puerta a 25. Informes al 723-9809 o 724-8702.

2013 MARTES 1 DE ENERO AVISO: Personal de la Ciudad de Laredo afectará el tráfico por Calton Road hasta Pita Drive, con labores para mejorar los dos carriles hacia el este de Calton Road, este de Springfield y Zacate Creek hasta Pita Drive.

Si el clima lo permite, el trabajo continuará hasta el viernes 4 de enero. A los conductores se les pide encontrar rutas alternas de ser posible ya que habrá congestiones y retrasos por el cierre parcial de los carriles y desvíos. Si conduce por el área, favor de obedecer los señalamientos de trafico y tener cuidado con trabajadores en el área.

NUEVO LAREDO, México — Evento “Trote de Año Nuevo” inicia a las 4 p.m. en la Explanada Esteban Baca Calderón. Se podrá participar a pie, bicicleta, patines, patineta, si tienen bebes en sus carreolas o en sillas de ruedas.

ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

AUSTIN — Durante el mes de enero, la oficina de la Contraloría conducirá 18 seminarios gratis a los contribuyentes en distintas partes del estado. En estos seminarios, los contribuyentes pueden orientarse sobre temas que incluyen la manera de completar los formularios de los impuestos, declarar y pagar los impuestos electrónicamente.

Información sobre los servicios electrónicos (e-services, en inglés) será disponible también para asistir a los contribuyentes en la administración de sus cuentas en línea.

Ayuda Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas

Este año fue celebrado el Primer Foro Regional de Turismo de Salud, con el objetivo de continuar las acciones para incrementar el uso de los servicios médicos de Tamaulipas, por parte de extranjeros.

Toman acciones para atraer extranjeros ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

MIÉRCOLES 2 DE ENERO LAREDO— Todas las Oficinas Administrativas del Condado de Webb permanecerán cerradas debido a la celebración de Año Nuevo.

Las oficinas abrirán a las 8 a.m. del miércoles.

LAREDO— El grupo de apoyo Alzheimer se reunirá el miércoles 2 de enero a las 7 p.m. en el aula 2 del edificio B del Laredo Medical Center. El grupo de apoyo es para familiares y cuidadores de alguien que padece Alzheimer.

JUEVES 3 DE ENERO LAREDO— El Club Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge se juntará en el Laredo Country Club de 1:15 a 5 p.m. Para mayor información, contacte a Beverly Cantú en el 727-0589.

L

as ventajas competitivas que poseen las ciudades fronterizas de Tamaulipas, la infraestructura y la calidez de su gente, han permitido incrementar en un 10 por ciento el turismo médico.

Mónica González García, Secretaria de Desarrollo Económico y Turismo, dijo que Tamaulipas tiene la gran oportunidad de atraer el creciente mercado del turismo médico de Estados Unidos, Canadá y América Latina, que genera una derrama económica de 122 millones de dólares en el país.

“Para incrementar la calidad de los servicios del personal de clínicas, hospitales, farmacias y laboratorios, promovimos nuestra oferta de turismo de salud en las ciudades de San Antonio, Laredo, McAllen, Harlingen y Brownsville, y organizamos recientemente el Primer Foro Re-

gional de Turismo de Salud”, dijo González.

En Texas, en los últimos años, 6 millones de norteamericanos no contaron con seguro de gastos médicos mayores, siendo este mercado en lo particular, el más atractivo para Tamaulipas.

De acuerdo a estudios realizados por organismos especializados, al año más de 10 millones de personas realizan viajes de turismo médico, dejando una derrama económica de 50 mil millones de dólares y en ese sentido, Tamaulipas tiene una propuesta profesional y de servicios con un alto potencial de crecimiento.

González comentó que en la franja fronteriza existen más de 500 establecimientos de servicios de salud privados, equipados con tecnología de punta, por lo que los estadounidenses y canadienses aprovechan la conectividad fronteriza para hacer uso de estos servicios.

También hay especialistas que

SÁBADO 5 DE ENERO LAREDO— El programa Laredo Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) ofrece cursos gratuitos para la declaración de impuestos, hoy y el sábado 12 de enero en Goodwill Job Help Center.

Las clases consisten de dos clases, en horario de 8:30 a.m. a 5:30 p.m. Llame al 726-4462 para inscribirse. El objetivo es tener preparados voluntarios de impuestos para la temporada de impuestos 2013. Voluntarios VITA preparan la declaración de impuestos gratuitamente a familias o personas que ganen hasta 50.000 dólares anuales.

LAREDO— Venta de libros usados en First United Methodist Church, de 8:30 a.m. a 1 p.m. en 1220 avenida McClelland. Libros de pasta dura a 1 dólar; pasta blanda a .50 centavos; revistas e infantiles a .25.

ofrecen atención a pacientes con un mejor costo, hasta de un 50 por ciento menos en relación con los servicios de la Unión Americana.

González afirmó que Tamaulipas tiene infraestructura de alto nivel en todas las especialidades, laboratorios clínicos y una plataforma tecnológica para consolidarse como un destino competitivo, con estándares internacionales en la atención de pacientes nacionales y extranjeros.

“El turismo médico es una alternativa integral porque conjuga hotelería, gastronomía, cultura y entretenimiento y extiende la derrama económica a varios sectores de la comunidad”, concluyó ella.

Dentro de las primeras acciones, en Reynosa y Matamoros ya se establecieron rutas de salud para transportar a los turistas de los puentes internacionales a los centros de atención médica de manera gratuita.

Representantes de la oficina de la Contraloría estarán presentes con el objetivo de responder a las preguntas de los comerciantes y servir a los asistentes.

“Deseamos capacitar a los dueños de negocios en Texas haciendo recursos e información accesibles. Conduciendo estos seminarios y disponiendo de la asistencia de nuestro equipo de especialistas proporciona la orientación necesaria a comerciantes,” dijo RJ DeSilva, portavoz de la Oficina de la Contraloría.

Español Habrá dos seminarios en español: ambos serán el 8 de enero, pero uno está programado de 6 p.m. a 8 p.m. en la Oficina de Campo en Brownsville, 1900 North Expressway, Suite C-1. El segundo será de 6 p.m. a 8 p.m. en la Oficina de Campo en McAllen, 3231 North McColl Road.

La lista completa de lugares, fechas y horas para los seminarios ofrecidos a los contribuyentes se encuentra disponible en www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/seminars.html.

Para los comerciantes que no puedan asistir brindamos el número telefónico de la Contraloría para obtener asistencia sobre los impuestos: 1-800-252-5555.

Los formularios e información para los impuestos también se encuentran en www.window.state.tx.us.

COLUMNA

Tamaulipas iba a tener 43 municipios POR RAÚL SINENCIO CHÁVEZ ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Suman 43 los municipios de Tamaulipas. A punto estuvieron de transformarse en número par, con uno extra.

La entidad abrió el siglo XX con 37 municipalidades. Un ordenamiento en la materia, expedido antes de concluir 1921, las enlista con sus nombres. Varios de estos últimos cambiaron luego. Conforme los decenios posrevolucionarios transcurrieron, el vecindario tamaulipeco fue ensanchándose.

Bien entrada la centuria, sin embargo, el crecimiento marcharía a paso veloz. En forma coincidente, evolucionó la cifra de municipios.

Seis surgieron en distintos rumbos del estado.

Dos al hilo abrieron la saga en 1924. A Cecilia, hoy Ciudad Madero, le siguió Mainero. Éste, al centro; aquél, en la porción sureste.

Nos referimos a Miguel Alemán, Valle Hermoso, Río Bravo y Gustavo Díaz Ordaz.

El resto cobraría vida en la franja norteña entre 1950 y 1968. Nos referimos a las municipalidades de Miguel Alemán, Valle Hermoso, Río Bravo y Gustavo Díaz Ordaz.

Hacia los postreros años sesenta, vivían ahí cuatro de cada diez tamaulipecos.

Y justo en la populosa frontera internacional asomó la idea de otra municipalidad. Se formalizaría en 1969, a escasos meses de haberse constituido la de Gustavo Díaz Ordaz. Emergió como auténtica iniciativa popular, sin nexos con ningún encumbrado político, ni con el partido hegemónico.

A fin de satisfacer todos los requisitos del caso, se integró el llamado Comité Pro Municipio Li-

bre. Tuvo por domicilio Estación Ramírez, municipio de Matamoros. Presidiría el organismo Miguel Flores Villar. Mereció el cargo de secretario Antonio Reyes Alameda. Fungiría de tesorero Roberto Salinas Jiménez. A ellos tocó encabezar las gestiones pertinentes, acompañadas de importante apoyo social.

La pretendida demarcación incorporaría poblaciones de Río Bravo, Valle Hermoso y Matamoros.

Iba a superar las 50.000 hectáreas.

El número de vecinos se calculaba en casi 20.000. O sea que excedía el mínimo exigido. Tendría en consecuencia 39.2 habitantes por kilómetro cuadrado, un tercio arriba del promedio en la entidad. Once

municipios reportaron a la sazón menos de 10.000 residentes, aunque hasta ahora permanecen.

Mucha gente dio activo respaldo. Los coordinadores de la propuesta recabaron asimismo planos topográficos con perímetros bien precisos. Añadieron también estudios de ingresos fiscales para acreditarlos suficientes.

Los documentos acompañarían la solicitud respectiva, presentada en mayo de 1969. “Municipio Libre número 44, General Lucio Blanco”, se llamó el proyecto. No obstante, la autoridad legislativa nunca resolvería nada. El Archivo General e Histórico de Tamaulipas, a cargo de Carlos Rugeiro Cázares, resguarda los expedientes, localizados por el investigador Pedro Alonso Pérez para su tesis de maestría.

(Con permiso del autor, basado en publicación en La Razón, Tampico, Tamps, 16 noviembre 2012)

8A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

FBI reveals more in movie star’s file

By ANTHONY MCCARTNEY ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES — FBI files on Marilyn Monroe that could not be located earlier this year have been found and re-issued, revealing the names of some of the movie star’s communist-leaning friends who drew concern from government officials and her own entourage.

But the records, which previously had been heavily redacted, do not contain any new information about Monroe’s death 50 years ago.

Letters and news clippings included in the files show the bureau was aware of theories the actress had been killed, but they do not show that any effort was undertaken to investigate the claims.

Los Angeles authorities concluded Monroe’s death was a probable suicide.

Communist ties Recently obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act, the updated FBI files do show the extent the agency was monitoring Monroe for ties to communism in the years before her death in August 1962.

The records reveal that some in Monroe’s inner circle were concerned about her association with Frederick Vanderbilt Field, who was disinherited from his wealthy family over his leftist views.

A trip to Mexico earlier that year to shop for furniture brought Monroe in contact with Field, who was living in the country with his wife in self-imposed exile.

Informants reported to the FBI that a “mutual infatuation” had developed between Field and Monroe, which caused concern among some in her inner circle, including her therapist, the files state.

“This situation caused considerable dismay among Miss Monroe’s entourage and also among the (American Communist Group in Mexico),” the file states. It includes references to an interior decorator who worked with Monroe’s analyst reporting her connection to Field to the doctor.

Field’s autobiography devotes an entire chapter to Monroe’s Mexico trip, “An Indian Summer Interlude.”

He mentions that he and his wife accompanied Monroe on shopping trips and meals and he only mentions politics once in a passage on their dinnertime conversations.

Photo by Robert F. Bukaty | AP

In this Nov. 1 file photo, Sarah Dowling, left, speaks at a gay marriage rally, accompanied by her partner of 18 years, Linda Wolfe, and their daughter, Maya Dowling-Wolfe, in Portland, Maine.

Gays marry in Maine

By DAVID SHARP ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP

In this file photo actress Marilyn Monroe smiles in a car after arriving tousled from an all-night plane flight in New York.

“She talked mostly about herself and some of the people who had been or still were important to her,” Field wrote in “From Right to Left.” “She told us about her strong feelings for civil rights, for black equality, as well as her admiration for what was being done in China, her anger at red-baiting and McCarthyism and her hatred of (FBI director) J. Edgar Hoover.”

Under Hoover’s watch, the FBI kept tabs on the political and social lives of many celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin and Monroe’s exhusband Arthur Miller.

The bureau has also been involved in numerous investigations about crimes against celebrities, including threats against Elizabeth Taylor, an extortion case involving Clark Gable and more recently, trying to solve who killed rapper Notorious B.I.G.

Redactions The AP had sought the removal of redactions from Monroe’s FBI files earlier this year as part of a series of stories on the 50th anniversary of Monroe’s death.

The FBI had reported that it had transferred the files to a National Archives facility in Maryland, but archivists said the documents had not been received. A few months after requesting details on the transfer, the FBI released an updated version of the files that eliminate dozens of redactions.

For years, the files have intrigued investigators,

Mexico finds border tunnel

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON ASSOCIATED PRESS

MEXICO CITY — Mexican authorities have discovered a sophisticated smuggling tunnel equipped with electricity and ventilation not far from the Nogales port of entry into Arizona, U.S. and Mexican officials said Friday.

The Mexican army said the tunnel was found Thursday after authorities received an anonymous call in the border city of Nogales, Sonora, south of Arizona. U.S. law enforcement officials confirmed that the Mexican military had discovered the football field-long tunnel with elaborate electricity and ventilation systems.

U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Victor Brabble said the tunnel did not cross into the U.S. The army said the anonymous caller was reporting gunmen standing outside a two-story house in a hilly neighborhood near the international bridge where motorists travel between

Mexico and the United States.

Inside the house, soldiers discovered a fake wall inside a storage closet under a staircase that led to a dark room with buckets and clothes. After lifting a drain cover in that room, soldiers found another staircase at the entrance of the tunnel that went 16 feet underground and measured a yard in diameter.

Light bulbs lit the underground passage and pipes stretched across the 120yard tunnel that Mexican army officials believe was built to smuggle drugs.

It was unclear whether officials made any arrests, but the house where the tunnel was found was seized by the local government. Military officials did not say how long they believed the tunnel had been under construction, but authorities say it can take six months to a year to build.

More than 70 such tunnels have been found since October 2008, most of them along the border in California and Arizona.

biographers and those who don’t believe Monroe’s death at her Los Angeles area home was a suicide.

A 1982 investigation by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office found no evidence of foul play after reviewing all available investigative records, but noted that the FBI files were “heavily censored.”

That characterization intrigued the man who performed Monroe’s autopsy, Dr. Thomas Noguchi.

While the DA investigation concluded he conducted a thorough autopsy, Noguchi has conceded that no one will likely ever know all the details of Monroe’s death.

The FBI files and confidential interviews conducted with the actress’ friends that have never been made public might help, he wrote in his 1983 memoir “Coroner.”

“On the basis of my own involvement in the case, beginning with the autopsy, I would call Monroe’s suicide ’very probable,’“ Noguchi wrote. “But I also believe that until the complete FBI files are made public and the notes and interviews of the suicide panel released, controversy will continue to swirl around her death.”

Monroe’s file begins in 1955 and mostly focuses on her travels and associations, searching for signs of leftist views and possible ties to communism.

One entry, which previously had been almost completely redacted, concerned intelligence that Monroe and other entertainers sought visas to visit Russia that year.

PORTLAND, Maine — Chris Kast and Byron Bartlett already consider themselves married after a 2010 ceremony overlooking Portland Harbor, but now they’re doing it all over again — planning to be among the first to get a marriage license when Maine’s same-sex marriage law goes into effect at midnight.

After waiting years for the opportunity, gay couples in Maine’s largest city won’t have to wait a moment longer than necessary to get married, with Portland City Hall opening at midnight when the law goes into effect to issue the first marriage licenses under the new law.

With their four daughters home for the holidays, Kast and Bartlett, both formerly married to women, decided they would wed on the spot after getting their marriage license. They didn’t see the need for another big ceremony.

“This is putting a period on an important sentence for us,” said Kast, 52, who has been with Bartlett, 42, for more than six years. “We’re going to finish it, and put it behind

us.”

Voters approved gay marriage in November, making Maine and two other states the first to do so by popular vote. The law is already in effect in Washington state; Maryland’s takes effect on Tuesday, the first day of 2013.

Gay marriage was already legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia, but those laws were either enacted by lawmakers or through court rulings.

The Maine Legislature had once approved samesex marriage, but it was overturned by a statewide referendum three years ago, crushing couples who had already made wedding plans. Gay marriage supporters collected signatures to put it on the ballot again, and this time it was easily approved.

Gov. Paul LePage signed off on the certified election results on Nov. 29, so the new law was to go into effect 30 days from that date.

In addition to gay marriage becoming legal, same-sex marriages in other states will now be recognized by the state of Maine.

Nobody knew exactly

how many couples would be rushing to get their marriage licenses early Saturday. Falmouth joined Portland in opening at midnight.

Suzanne Blackburn and Joanie Kunian, of Portland, were among those hoping to get their license at midnight, but they didn’t plan to wed immediately.

One of their grandchildren wanted them to get married on Valentine’s Day. “I don’t think that we dared to dream too big until we had the governor’s signature,” Blackburn said. “That’s why it’s so important, because it feels real.”

At least one other couple, Donna Galluzzo and Lisa Gorney, planned a midnight wedding with all the trappings.

They realized that they would have to be good-natured and go with the flow, because they didn’t know how many other couples might have the same thought. But they didn’t want to wait.

“We decided it’s a historic day and we thought it would be awesome to be a small part of history, to say we got married on the first day it’s legal,” Galluzzo said.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

ALFREDO PRUNEDA MALDONADO

THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A

Energy companies turn to trains

By JOSH FUNK & MATTHEW BROWN ASSOCIATED PRESS

Alfredo Pruneda-Maldonado passed away Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012, at his residence in Zapata, Texas.

Mr. Pruneda is survived by his sons, daughters, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and greatgreat-grandchildren and by numerous other family members.

A funeral Mass will be held Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, at 4 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Highway 83, Zapata, TX 78076.

BILLINGS, Mont. — Energy companies behind the oil boom on the Northern Plains are increasingly turning to an industrial-age workhorse — the locomotive — to move their crude to refineries across the U.S., as plans for new pipelines stall and existing lines can’t keep up with demand.

Delivering oil thousands of miles by rail from the heartland to refineries on the East, West and Gulf coasts costs more, but it can mean increased profits — up to $10 or more a barrel — because of higher oil prices on the coasts.

That works out to about $700,000 per train.

The parade of mile-long trains carrying hazardous material out of North Dakota and Montana and across the country has experts and federal regulators concerned.

Rail transport is less safe than pipelines, they say, and the proliferation of oil trains raises the risk of a major derailment and spill.

Since 2009, the number of train cars carrying crude hauled by major railroads has jumped from about 10,000 a year to a projected 200,000 in 2012. Much of that has been in the Northern Plains’ Bakken crude patch, but companies say oil trains are rolling or will be soon from Texas, Colorado and western Canada.

“This is all occurring very rapidly, and history teaches that when those things happen, unfortunately, the next thing that is go-

Photo by Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette | AP

In this Nov. 17 file aerial photo, tractor-trailers line up for two miles, as they wait to unload oil in Trenton, N.D. ing to occur would be some sort of disaster,” said Jim Hall, a transportation consultant and former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Rail companies said the industry places a priority on safety and has invested heavily in track upgrades, provided emergency training and taken other measures to guard against accidents. There have been no major oil train derailments from the Bakken, according to federal regulators.

Union Pacific Railroad CEO Jack Koraleski said hauling oil out of places like North Dakota will be a long-term business for railroads because trains are faster than pipelines, reliable and offer a variety of destinations.

“The railroads are looking at

COLLEGE Continued from Page 1A With a decrease of about 6 percent, South Texas community college enrollment dipped lower than it did across the state, whose enrollment decreased by about 2 percent, according to the early figures.

The decrease in state totals follows a nationwide trend of sputtering college enrollment.

Dominic Chavez, spokesman for the state higher education board, said the agency is “pretty confident” the slowing enrollment trend correlates with a strengthening economy.

“We typically see in Texas that whenever the economy is at its weakest, enrollments tend to grow,” Chavez said. “Whenever it is very strong, we typically find that enrollments decline.”

In particular, the South Texas energy boom, which has spawned from the Eagle Ford Shale, is credited with injecting the regional economy with thousands of jobs.

However, many experts feel it has played a part in diminishing college enrollment.

“It may be a good news, bad news scenario,” Chavez said. “The good news is South Texas is one of the hottest areas in the state in terms of employ-

“

The decrease in state totals follows a nationwide trend …

ment. It’s good people are employed and have jobs.

It’s bad news if higher education (is adversely affected).”

The shrinking of LCC’s student body in fall 2012 had been foreshadowed by a decrease in the summer.

The college’s enrollment from summer 2011 to summer 2012 took a 12.4 percent hit.

Enrollment in colleges and universities across the state had previously been on an upward slope amid the recession.

In August, when the summer enrollment figures were first being scrutinized, Chavez raised the question as to whether we should expect the enrollment boom to persist.

“Is it possible that (this) is part of a natural cooling-off period?” he asked.

(JJ Velasquez may be reached at 728-2579 or jjvelasquez@lmtonline.com)

this as a unique opportunity, a game-changing opportunity for their business,” said Jeffery Elliot, a rail expert with the New York-based consulting firm Oliver Wyman.

BNSF Railway Co., the prime player in the Bakken, has bolstered its oil train capacity to a million barrels a day and expects that figure to increase further. To accommodate the growth, in part, the railroad is sinking $197 million into track upgrades and other improvements in Montana and North Dakota.

BNSF is also increasing train sizes, from 100 oil cars per train to as many as 118.

Larger trains are harder to control, and that increases the chances of something going wrong, safe-

ty experts said. State and local emergency officials worry about a derailment in a population center or an environmentally sensitive area such as a river crossing.

Rail accidents occur 34 times more frequently than pipeline ones for every ton of crude or other hazardous material shipped comparable distances, according to a recent study by the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank. The Association of American Railroads contends the study was flawed but acknowledges the likelihood of a rail accident is double or triple the chance of a pipeline problem.

The environmental fears carry an ironic twist: Oil trains are gaining popularity in part because of a shortage of pipeline capacity — a problem that has been worsened by environmental opposition to such projects as TransCanada’s stalled Keystone XL pipeline. That project would carry Bakken and Canadian crude to the Gulf of Mexico.

Wayde Schafer, a North Dakota spokesman for the Sierra Club, described rail as “the greater of two evils” because trains pass through cities, over waterways and through wetlands that pipelines can be built to avoid.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen. It’s going to be a mess and we don’t know where that mess is going to be,” Schafer said.

For oil companies, the embrace of rail is a matter of expediency.

Oil-loading rail terminals can be built in a matter of months.

SHERIFF Continued from Page 1A sheriff ’s office bought equipment — tactical towers, crime scene unit, TerraHawk, mobile command center — never seen before in the county or the area. Gonzalez added patrol vehicles acquired in the past six years have been purchased with grant money.

“I’ve done the best I possibly could to help (people), even though a lot of my decisions may not be popular.

As far as I know, those decisions I’ve made have always

come up to be right,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez has recently accepted a safety coordinator position for a local oilfield company. But he also plans to become the handyman at his home.

“My best hobby is working around the house,” the sheriff said.

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

PAYCHECKS Continued from Page 1A is that in this town for some reason, you can’t get stuff done in an organized timetable, why everything always has to wait until the last minute,” he said.

“Well, we are at the last minute, and the American people are not going to have any patience for a politically self-inflicted wound to our economy.”

For Laredo, it means potentially smaller paychecks in a city where almost a third of the population lives below the poverty line.

And if a deal isn’t reached on unemployment benefits, approximately 6,500 jobless Laredoans would perhaps be left without a primary source of income.

Even if an agreement is eked out, the American workforce is likely to pay higher tax rates at least in the interim. Then, if a deal is reached, as some entities

have indicated, employees will be reimbursed for the additional 2 percent in income taxes they paid.

The looming fiscal cliff, effective Jan. 1 if the sides still differ on a new fiscal plan Sunday, would increase the federal income tax rate from 4.2 to 6.2 percent.

Webb County Treasurer Delia Perales said she is waiting until Jan. 1 to see what the Internal Revenue Service posts on its website.

She said she doesn’t want to alarm her employees, but for now, the plan is to use the 6.2 percent rate.

“We’ll just assume (the 4.2 percent rate) is going to be terminating Dec. 31,” Perales said.

The approximately 1,600 county employees would thus receive smaller paychecks, just as the entire civilian workforce would if the deadlock between Dem-

ocrats and Republicans in Congress remains.

Perales said if by Jan. 2, there is no indication of an extension of the income tax cuts, then she will advise employees via email of the impending increase.

Rosendo Carranco, a local certified public accountant, said if lawmakers allow the country to plunge over the cliff, the middle and lower classes would be hit the hardest.

“The wealthy people are going to obviously pay a lot more, but they have a lot more,” Carranco said.

He used an example of a worker traveling from a home in the Cielito Lindo subdivision in the south to Mines Road everyday for work.

If Congress provides oil and gas companies an incentive to drill new fields, that drives the price for gasoline up, he said.

That cost will invariably

be passed on to the consumer, Carranco said.

“And who uses gas more than anybody?” he asked.

“The working people who have to work.”

Although Americans may be adversely affected by the fiscal cliff, he said he believes Texas is still poised to prosper and Laredo, especially.

“Strategically speaking, Laredo is sitting in a perfect spot when it comes to import and export,” he said. “That’s why we have so much commerce going through our city.”

However, he said hopes to see a resolution made in Washington soon.

“I, like most Americans, would like to see Republicans and Democrats working together in harmony to accomplish what we need in our country,” he said. ( JJ Velasquez may be reached at 728-2579 or jjvelasquez@lmtonline.com)

International

10A THE ZAPATA TIMES

Putin signs anti-US adoptions bill

By JIM HEINTZ ASSOCIATED PRESS

MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a law banning Americans from adopting Russian children, abruptly terminating the prospects for more than 50 youngsters preparing to join new families and sparking critics to liken him to King Herod.

The move is part of a harsh response to a U.S. law targeting Russians deemed to be human rights violators. Although some top Russian officials including the foreign minister openly opposed the bill, Putin signed it less than 24 hours after receiving it from Parliament, where it passed both houses overwhelmingly.

The law also calls for the closure of non-governmental organizations receiving American funding if their activities are classified as political — a broad definition many fear could be used to close any NGO that offends the Kremlin.

The law takes effect Jan. 1, the Kremlin said. Children’s rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov said 52 children who were in the pipeline for U.S. adoption would remain in Russia.

The ban is in response to a measure signed into law

by President Barack Obama this month that calls for sanctions against Russians assessed to be human rights violators.

That stems from the case of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who was arrested after accusing officials of a $230 million tax fraud. He was repeatedly denied medical treatment and died in jail in 2009.

Russian rights groups

claimed he was severely beaten.

A prison doctor who was the only official charged in the case was acquitted by a Moscow court on Friday.

Although there was no demonstrable connection to Putin’s signing the law a few hours later, the timing underlines what critics say is Russia’s refusal to responsibly pursue the case.

The adoption ban has angered both Americans and Russians who argue it victimizes children to make a political point, cutting off a route out of frequently dismal orphanages for thousands.

“The king is Herod,” popular writer Oleg Shargunov said on his Twitter account, referring to the Roman-appointed king of Judea at the time of Jesus Christ’s birth, who the Bible says ordered the massacre of Jewish children to avoid being supplanted by a prophesied newborn king of the Jews.

A painting depicting the massacre and captioned “an appropriate response to the Magnitsky act” spread widely on the Internet. The phrase echoed Putin’s characterization of the ban while it was under consideration.

U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell expressed regret over Putin’s signing the law and urged Russia to “allow those children who have already met and bonded with their future parents to finish the necessary legal procedures so that they can join their families.”

Vladimir Lukin, head of the Russian Human Rights Commission and a former ambassador to Washington, said he would challenge the law court.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

Rebels attack airports

By BEN HUBBARD ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEIRUT — Syrian rebels stepped up their siege of a government helicopter base and clashed with soldiers near Aleppo’s international airport on Friday, part of an effort to chip away at the air power that poses the biggest challenge to their advances against the regime of President Bashar Assad.

That airborne threat came into stark relief the same day, when a government airstrike on a northern town killed 14 people — most of them women and children, activists said. More than 21-months into Syria’s conflict, the Assad regime is counting more than ever on its air force to block rebel gains.

Rebels in the north, a region largely clear of government troops, realize this and have launched campaigns to seize all the area’s airports, hoping such a move will protect their forces and the civilians who back them.

This push in many ways represents the mismatched nature of Syria’s civil war, with numerous but lightly armed rebels fighting a highly sophisticated army, albeit one badly weakened by defections.

Rebels say they have surrounded four airports in the northern province of Aleppo. In recent days, they have posted dozens of videos online showing fighters shooting mortars, homemade rockets and sniper rifles at targets inside the bases.

It remains unclear whether rebels will be able to seize any of the bases soon, but they have managed to stop air traffic at one and limit movement at others by firing on all approaching aircraft with heavy machine guns.

“The airports are now considered the most important thing the rebels

Photo by Shaam News Network | AP

In this image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated, smoke rises from buildings from heavy shelling in Homs, Syria, on Thursday, Dec. 27. can focus on because all of the strikes now come from the air,” said Aleppo activist Mohammed Saeed via Skype.

Saeed said clashes between rebels and government soldiers raged until Friday morning around the Mannagh helicopter base near the Turkish border. He said other rebel groups continued to hold positions around the Kuwiras military airport southwest of the city of Aleppo and clashed with soldiers near Aleppo’s international airport and neighboring Nerab military airport.

Rebels have numerical superiority and support from most of the population in the far north, making it easy for them to surround and cut the ground supply lines to government military bases.

But Assad’s forces still control the air, responding to rebel gains with airstrikes on their positions or residential areas, a tactic rebels consider collective punishment against civilians who back the re-

volt.

The rebels remain largely helpless against regime airpower, and credible reports of them shooting down government aircraft are rare. But many groups now have heavy caliber anti-aircraft guns they say act as a deterrent to low-flying aircraft.

Activist Hazem al-Azazi said via Skype that rebels have surrounded the Mannagh airport near the Turkish border and have stopped helicopter traffic in and out of the base for about a week.

On Friday, a government helicopter tried to drop food and ammunition to troops in the base, but the supplies fell to rebels, he said. The day before, a group of rebels sneaked into the base and destroyed two tanks. One rebel was killed and four injured before they got out, he added.

The fall of any of Aleppo’s airports would give a psychological boost the areas rebels and give them greater freedom of moment since ground forces

often shell from inside the airports.

It would not, however, stop the airstrikes, most of which are carried out by jets from the central province of Hama or near the capital Damascus.

The airstrike on Friday killed 14 people in the town of al-Safira south of Aleppo, activists said.

The town, frequently hit by airstrikes, sits next to a large military complex with factories, air defense and artillery bases. Rebels have been attacking the base for weeks, and activists say the regime has been striking the town in revenge.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the dead included two women and eight children.

A video posted online that purported to show the site of the strike showed a large area covered with the rubble and the walls sheared off of a row of buildings nearby.

The video appeared genuine and corresponded to other AP reporting.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Sports&Outdoors NFL: TEXANS VS. COLTS

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: WEEK 16

All on the line Photo by Eric Gay | AP

Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson (80) will face Indianapolis Colts cornerback Vontae Davis (23) in the season finale.

Photos by Tim Sharp | AP

The Dallas Cowboys’ Anthony Spencer (93) will face Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) in a rematch of Thanksgiving’s 38-31 Redskins’ victory, but this time the playoffs are on the line.

Cowboys, Redskins set to win or go home

By SCHUYLER DIXON

DALLAS (8-7) AT WASHINGTON (9-6)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

IRVING — The Dallas Cowboys get another shot at Robert Griffin III after he put them through their worst quarter of the season in a loss on Thanksgiving.

They aren’t talking all tough about how it will be different this time around for Washington’s dynamic rookie quarterback in a Sunday night game that will decide the NFC East champion.

Dallas might not even be surprised if the Heisman Trophy winner from Baylor goes 8 of 8 for 178 yards with three entirely different types of touchdown throws. That’s what he did in the second quarter last month to give Washington a 28-3 lead in a 38-31 victory.

“No, I don’t say he can’t do that again because he can,” Dallas defensive end Marcus Spears said. “He can create so many plays and get himself out of trouble a lot, which in turn helps him make a lot of the plays where you look and say, ‘Man, how did that happen.”’

Griffin’s first big NFL play in Texas was a perfect deep throw to Aldrick Robinson for a 68-yard touchdown. He threw a ball behind Pierre Garcon — but just beyond the reach of Dallas linebacker Bruce Carter — on a 59yard score. A sideline

Sunday, 7:20 p.m., NBC

Associated Press

Washington Redskin Cedric Griffin (20) and Dallas Cowboy Dez Bryant (88) enter a rematch this weekend. throw that only Santana Moss could catch in the final seconds of the half finished the first 28-point quarter for the Redskins (9-6) in 13 years.

When the Cowboys (8-7) pulled within a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, Griffin had three first-down throws on a time-consuming drive to a field goal that essentially sealed the win.

“Obviously you see the guy out there making plays and you don’t like that,” Spears said. “A lot of that was stuff that we

didn’t do very well either.

At any rate, it’s more from how is he going to try to attack us and hurt us this second time.”

Spears says Griffin makes it easy to forget about another rookie, running back Alfred Morris.

He leads first-year backs with 1,413 yards, and his 113-yard game against the Cowboys was the first of three straight during a six-game winning streak that vaulted Washington from an also-ran to sole

See COWBOYS PAGE 2B

OPENING LINE — Redskins by 31/2 RECORD VS. SPREAD — Dallas 6-9; Washington 10-5 SERIES RECORD — Cowboys lead 62-41-2 AP PRO32 RANKING — Cowboys No. 14; Redskins No. 9 LAST MEETING — Redskins beat Cowboys 3831, Nov. 22 LAST WEEK — Cowboys lost to Saints 34-31 OT; Redskins beat Falcons 27-20 COWBOYS OFFENSE — OVERALL (6), RUSH (31), PASS (3) COWBOYS DEFENSE — OVERALL (19), RUSH (17), PASS (21) REDSKINS OFFENSE — OVERALL (5), RUSH (1), PASS (18) REDSKINS DEFENSE — OVERALL (28), RUSH (5), PASS (30) STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — NFC East title on line in 256th and final game of regular season, also 106th edition of 52-year-old division rivalry. Cowboys can only make playoffs by winning — they would own tiebreaker over Washington — while Redskins could lose and still get wild-card berth if both Chicago and Minnesota lose. ... Dallas seeking first division title and playoff berth since 2009. Redskins vying for first postseason nod since 2007, first division title since 1999. ... Washington would also become fourth team under current playoff format to make postseason after starting 3-6, and first since Jaguars in 1996. ... Washington looking to sweep season series for first time since 2005. ... Cowboys 10-21 in regular-season finales on road, including playoffs-or-bust losses at Philadelphia (44-6) in 2008 and New York Giants (31-14) last year. ... Cowboys QB Tony Romo has franchise-record 4,685 yards passing. ... Dallas WR Dez Bryant coming off career-high 224-yard game last week, has 808 yards in last seven games. ...

Cowboys’ Jason Witten has 103 catches, single-season NFL record for a tight end. ... ...

Washington has won six straight, seeking first seven-game streak since 1996. ... Redskins QB Robert Griffin III can set several more NFL rookie records. His 104.1 passer rating currently tops Ben Roethlisberger’s 98.1 in 2004, his 66.4 completion percentage is just shy of Roethlisberger’s 66.44 in 2004, and his 1.3 percentage of passes intercepted is better than Charlie Batch’s 1.98 in 1998. Griffin already has league record for rushing yards by a rookie QB (752). ... RB Alfred Morris (1,413) is NFL’s rookie rushing leader and needs 104 yards to break Clinton Portis’ single-season Redskins record (1,516 in 2005). ... Morris and Griffin (752) have rushed for combined 2,165 yards, most of a pair of teammates in franchise history. ...

Redskins can set single-season franchise record for total yards (6,253 in 1989) by gaining 484, and can set single-season team rushing mark (2,625 in 1983) with 191. ...

Washington’s offense leads NFL in yards per play (6.18) and yards on first down (6.47). ...

Redskins have committed 14 turnovers, fewest in league. Franchise record 16, set during 1982 short-shortened season. ... Washington K Kai Forbath has made first 17 NFL field goal attempts, a league record. ... Watch for flying footballs: Dallas passes a league-high 66.3 percent of the time, while opponents throw the ball a league-high 64.8 percent vs.

Washington.

FROM BAD TO WORSE

By NOMAAN MERCHANT ASSOCIATED PRESS

DALLAS — Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent was driving with a suspended license and had a blood-alcohol content more than twice the legal limit at the time of the car crash that killed teammate and friend Jerry Brown, according to documents released by police Thursday.

The 24-year-old Brent was tested after the crash in the early hours of Dec. 8 at 0.189 percent, well

above the Texas a misdemeanor. limit of 0.08. One Brown was propolice report said nounced dead at a Brent was intoxiDallas hospital. cated, driving over Brent was arrested the speed limit and indicted and swerving out Wednesday on one BRENT of one lane when count of intoxicahe struck a curb tion manslaughter. in Irving, a suburb of He faces up to 20 years in Dallas, causing the car to prison if convicted, flip over. though he could also reThe crash report also ceive probation. Brent is says Brent was driving free on $100,000 bond and with an expired and sus- required to wear an alcopended driver’s license hol monitor. His attorney, obtained in Illinois, George Milner, did not where he pleaded guilty return a phone message three years ago to driv- left Thursday morning. ing under the influence, Authorities say they

also found an unopened bottle of Cognac liquor in searching Brent’s Mercedes sedan, along with “multiple receipts” and his iPad and cellphone.

Brent and Brown reportedly spent at least part of Friday night at the club Privae Dallas. The iPad and cellphone found in the Mercedes have information “from the events prior to and during the crash that will aid this investigation,” other warrants said.

The 25-year-old Brown

See BRENT PAGE 2B

Houston eyes playoff advantage Texans take on Colts in AFC showdown

By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans need a win this weekend at Indianapolis to secure a bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

They also want to build some momentum instead of limping into the postseason despite their 12-3

See TEXANS PAGE 2B

record. Houston had a chance to secure homefield advantage last week, only to post its worst offensive performance of the season in a 23-6 loss to the Vikings.

“It’s not important, it’s crucial, because in order for you to get to where you want to be, you have to be playing your best ball,” veteran linebacker Bradie James said. “And that’s what we’ve been working on this week.

Guys have been frowning during the holiday time.

So that means we should respond well.”

They now have to win at Indianapolis, where the Texans are 0-10. The

NCAA FOOTBALL: BOWL SEASON

Photo by Jack Plunkett | AP

Texas quarterback David Ash, right, is set to start today’s Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.

’Horns hunt Beavers in Alamo Bowl Texas battles suspensions, QB scandal entering today’s big game ASSOCIATED PRESS

Oregon State generated the biggest one-year turnaround in school history and could secure its third 10-win season by beating Texas in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday.

The Longhorns? They are trying to reverse a three-year slide from the days when 10 wins were just a footnote on the way to BCS bowls.

Beating the 15th-ranked

Beavers on Saturday night would be another baby step back to the elite for Mack Brown and company, with still a long way to go. Texas followed a loss to Alabama in the 2009 BCS championship game with a shocking 5-7 record — the only losing season in 15 under Brown — and an 8-5 mark last year that included a Holiday Bowl win over Cal.

See BOWLS PAGE 2B

PAGE 2B

Zscores

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

Jets jump back to Sanchez

NHL proposes to save season

By DENNIS WASZAK JR. ASSOCIATED PRESS

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Rex Ryan stepped to the podium, looked out at the cameras and opened his news conference with a warning.

“You’re not going to believe this one,” the New York Jets coach declared without any hint of a smile.

In what has been a bizarre season, the Jets’ wacky quarterback situation took yet another twist.

Greg McElroy has a concussion — which he didn’t reveal until Thursday — and will be replaced by Mark Sanchez as the starting quarterback in the season finale at Buffalo on Sunday.

“We’ve come to find out that Greg wasn’t exactly truthful with our training staff after the game,” said Ryan, who acknowledged he was “stunned” to hear the news. “He never disclosed that he had symptoms after the game to our trainers.

Right now, he’s being evaluated for a concussion.”

McElroy, preparing to make his second NFL start in place of the benched Sanchez, was lifting weights Thursday morning and started experiencing headaches, Ryan said. McElroy went to the team’s training staff and then revealed he was suffering concussionlike symptoms after being sacked 11 times in the Jets’ 27-17 loss to San Diego last Sunday.

Ryan was not certain exactly when McElroy suffered the concussion, but said there was no way he would play McElroy against the Bills and the third-stringer will “definitely be out.” McElroy had been listed on the injury report Wednesday with a mild abdominal strain, but was a full participant in practice and was expected to play without any issues.

Ryan chose to start Sanchez over Tim Tebow because the team has just two practices and a walk-

By IRA PODELL ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo by Kathy Willens | AP

New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy was sacked 11 times last weekend and has a concussion and will be replaced by Mark Sanchez in the season finale at Buffalo. through to prepare before the game.

He also cited Sanchez’s success against the Bills in the season opener, when he threw three touchdown passes in the Jets’ 48-28 win.

Sanchez appeared to be on his way to a solid season, but it ended up being his best game. He was benched for the first time in his four-year career after turning over the ball five times at Tennessee on Dec. 17.

McElroy leapfrogged Tebow on the depth chart to start against the Chargers. After finding out about McElroy’s condition, Ryan spoke with both Sanchez and Tebow to tell them of his decision.

“Obviously, Tim’s not happy with that, as you’d expect,” Ryan said.

The news came on the heels of some tension between Ryan and Tebow last week, when the popular backup quarterback told the coach he was “disappointed” at not getting

the start and wanted to play “regular quarterback.” ESPN New York first reported Sunday that Tebow asked out of the wildcat, and a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed that to The Associated Press. The two met again last Friday to clear the air, and Tebow reiterated that he was willing to do anything the team asked him to do.

Tebow insisted Wednesday that he did not refuse to do anything and acknowledged that Ryan might have misinterpreted what he said. Ryan said he understands that Tebow is frustrated at the situation and by not starting, but again would not disclose anything said between the two in their conversations last week.

Tebow said he didn’t think Ryan’s choice to play Sanchez was in any way punitive, and added that he and the coach have a “great” relationship.

COWBOYS Continued from Page 1B possession of the division lead.

Morris scored the other touchdown in the big second quarter and set up Griffin’s final TD toss with a first-down run to the Dallas 6.

“RG3, everybody’s enamored,” Spears said. “It’s not like he’s back there alone.

He can hand the ball off to a guy that can make plays.”

Still, Griffin wasn’t named to the Pro Bowl on Wednesday night because he was handing off. And that’s not what the Cowboys took away from the Thanksgiving game.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones was still talking about Griffin’s game at Cowboys Stadium when asked last weekend about the Sunday night showdown. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett didn’t need to see Griffin live to believe he could pick through the Dallas defense the way he did.

“We thought he was pretty darn good in college, and we thought he was pretty darn good in the early part of the season,” Garrett said.

“We had a tremendous amount of respect for what they were doing on offense going into our ballgame when we played them on Thanksgiving.”

With so much talk about Griffin’s mobility — he’s just 30 yards shy of the top 10 in the league in rushing

— it’s easy to overlook his 20 passing touchdowns against just five interceptions. Those are rare numbers for a rookie, but he did the same thing at Baylor for three years.

“I don’t think people pay attention to how well the guy throws the ball,” Spears said. “He could play in a system where it was a five-step drop and he didn’t have to run. He throws the ball that well.”

The Cowboys did pressure Griffin in the Thanksgiving loss, even though it didn’t really look like it with his 132.6 rating on 20of-28 passing for 311 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.

Spears and Anthony Spencer, who had two of the four sacks of Griffin, will be chasing again with a defense even more compromised than it was a month ago. The Cowboys are missing five starters, and linebacker DeMarcus Ware is trying to play through hamstring, elbow and shoulder problems.

“It’s no secret we’ve got a lot to defend on our end of the ball,” Spears said.

“With that being said, we feel like we left some plays out there the first game and we have to do a better job of playing and keying around the football this time around.”

NEW YORK — The NHL made a new proposal to the players’ association, hoping to spark talks to end the long lockout and save the hockey season.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Friday the league made its offer Thursday and was waiting for a response. The sides haven’t met in person since a second round of talks with a federal mediator broke down Dec. 13.

The lockout has reached its 104th day, and the NHL said it doesn’t want a season of less than 48 games.

To make that possible, a deal likely must be reached by mid-January.

“We delivered to the union a new, comprehensive proposal for a successor CBA,” Daly said in a statement Friday. “We are not prepared to discuss the details of our proposal at this time. We are hopeful that once the union’s staff and negotiating committee have had an opportunity to thoroughly review and consider our new proposal, they will share it with the players. We want to be back on the ice as soon as possible.”

The union didn’t immediately respond to a request for a comment.

The lockout has reached a critical stage, threatening to force a complete cancellation of a season for the second time in eight years.

TEXANS Continued from Page 1B Colts, who went 2-14 last season, are 10-5 this season and have already secured a playoff spot.

“This is like a playoff game for us,” quarterback Matt Schaub said.

“This is a team that is in the playoff themselves and we’re in their building. With all that we can gain from playing well and getting a win on the road, it’s definitely a playofftype game.”

Schaub and the offense should get a lift from the return of running back Arian Foster, who missed most of the second half of Sunday’s game because of an irregular heartbeat in a game in which Houston rushed for a season-low 34 yards. He has practiced all week and coach Gary Kubiak said he will play Sunday.

He said since it had happened to him before, the medical staff knew exactly how to handle it on Sunday.

“Anytime something like that happens that’s unusual, so it concerns you,” Kubiak said. “At least it’s something that they had a little history with and they could deal with.”

This is Houston’s second meeting with the Colts in the last three weeks. Houston’s only win in the last three games came in a 29-17 victory over the Colts two weeks ago.

“I think that’s the biggest thing is to get the confidence,” offensive coordinator Rick Dennison said. “We have a very confident team when we get things going in the right way. I think we will. I think our guys will respond.”

Though much of the focus this week has been on the poor play of the offense, the defense is also looking to get better in its last game be-

HOUSTON (12-3) AT INDIANAPOLIS (10-5) Sunday, Noon, CBS OPENING LINE — Texans by 51/2 RECORD VS. SPREAD — Houston 9-6; Indianapolis 8-6-1 SERIES RECORD — Colts lead 17-4 AP PRO32 RANKING — Texans No. 7; Colts No. 10 LAST MEETING — Texans beat Colts 29-17, Dec. 16 LAST WEEK — Texans lost to Vikings 23-6; Colts beat Chiefs 20-13 TEXANS OFFENSE — OVERALL (8), RUSH (7), PASS (15) TEXANS DEFENSE — OVERALL (16), RUSH (7), PASS (16) COLTS OFFENSE — OVERALL (9), RUSH (22), PASS (7) COLTS DEFENSE — OVERALL (19), RUSH (30), PASS (19) STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Texans can clinch firstround bye and AFC’s top seed for first time with win or losses by Denver and New England. ... Houston has won three of last five in series but has never won two straight vs. Colts, never swept season series and is 0-10 in Indianapolis. ... Texans can extend franchise record for wins to 13 with win. ... DE J.J. Watt needs 21/2 sacks to tie Michael Strahan’s NFL single-season record (221/2). Watt had three vs. Indy in AFC South title-clinching win two weeks ago. ... WR Andre Johnson needs 43 yards receiving for third season with 1,500 yards, making him one of three NFL players to achieve feat three times or more (Jerry Rice, 4; Marvin Harrison, 3). Also can become second NFL player, joining Harrison, with three seasons of 1,500 yards and 100 receptions. ...

RB Arian Foster needs two TDs rushing to match own team record (16) and two scores overall to tie his club single-season mark for TDs scored in season (18). ... K Shayne Graham needs eight points to break Texans’ single-season mark for scoring (Neil Rackers, 135 points, 2011). ... Chuck Pagano expected to return to sideline for first time since Week 3 loss to Jacksonville after spending 12 weeks battling leukemia. ... Colts 6-1 at home and locked into No. 5 seed in AFC playoffs. ... Win would complete ninegame improvement, second-best in NFL history. ...

QB Andrew Luck needs two completions to pass Peyton Manning (326) for second-most in NFL and 30 to break Sam Bradford’s rookie record. Can pass Charlie Connerly for third most TD passes by rookie (22) with two Sunday. ... Could be final home game for DE/OLB Dwight Freeney, franchise’s career lead with 1061/2 sacks whose contract expires after season. ... WR Reggie Wayne needs 185 yards receiving for second 1,500-yard season of career.

fore the postseason. Defensive end J.J. Watt liked how the unit played in the first meeting against the Colts, but hasn’t been happy with its performance in other recent games.

He has already set a franchise record with 201/2 sacks, leaving him 21/2 shy of breaking Michael Stra-

han’s single-season sack record.

“It’s on my mind,” Watt said of the sack mark, “but winning is No. 1 by far. I had someone ask me (Tuesday), would you rather win the game or get the sack record?

There is no debate whatsoever. I’d much rather win the game, but then I said I would love to win the game and get the sack record.”

Watt had 10 tackles, including three sacks and forced a fumble, in Houston’s first game against Indianapolis.

Kubiak said it’s a big week for his veterans to step up and help get the team headed back in the right direction. He doesn’t really have to say anything to those players because they know what needs to be done.

After making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last season, Kubiak is looking for his team to do more this year.

“There’s another level that you play the game at,” Kubiak said.

“There’s another level of expectations. There’s another level of responsibility, and that’s why you see a lot of the same people in the playoffs all the time ... because they find ways to raise that level. To me that’s the next step for this organization.”

NOTES: Tight end Owen Daniels sat out of practice on Thursday with a sore hamstring, but Kubiak said he should be OK for Sunday. ...

LB Brooks Reed, who returned last week after missing three games with a groin injury, is doing well this week and Kubiak said he expects him to play more than he did against the Vikings.

BOWLS Continued from Page 1B Lose to Oregon State, and the Longhorns (8-4) will have a second straight eight-win season and a long offseason to think about a three-game losing streak, too.

“I think that at Texas we want to be 13-0,” Brown said. “The standards are higher than eight, and that’s what the kids need to understand and our coaches do understand. And we are ready to take that next step and get it back to where it should be.”

Mike Riley has had to do a little rebuilding of his own after leading the Beavers (9-3) to 10 wins in 2006 and three more winning seasons after that. Oregon State matched Texas at 5-7 in 2010, then slipped to 3-9 a year ago.

The Beavers are six games better in 2012, beating one Rose Bowl team — Wisconsin — in their opener and almost beating the other — Stanford — on the

All games through Jan. 14, plus the Winter Classic and the All-Star game already have been called off.

The next round of cuts could claim the entire schedule.

The NHL is the only North American professional sports league to cancel a season because of a labor dispute, losing the 2004-05 campaign to a lockout. A 48-game season was played in 1995 after a lockout stretched into January.

It is still possible this dispute could eventually be settled in the courts if the sides can’t reach a deal on their own.

The NHL filed a class-action suit this month in U.S. District Court in New York in an effort to show its lockout is legal. In a separate move, the league filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, contending bad-faith bargaining by the union.

Those moves were made because the players’ association took steps toward potentially filing a “disclaimer of interest,” which would dissolve the union and make it a trade association. That would allow players to file antitrust lawsuits against the NHL. Union members voted overwhelmingly to give their board the power to file the disclaimer by Jan. 2. If that deadline passes, another authorization vote could be held to approve a later filing.

road. Oregon State brings a little momentum into the Alamo Bowl because Hurricane Isaac turned the original opener against Nicholls State into the finale. So after losing to Fiesta Bowl-bound rival Oregon, the Beavers trounced Nicholls State 77-3.

The Longhorns saved their flipflopping at quarterback for late in the season. David Ash was named the starter for the Alamo Bowl after starting the first 11 games before he was pulled in a loss to TCU on Thanksgiving.

Case McCoy started the finale against Kansas State. Texas officials originally said Ash sustained a rib injury against the Horned Frogs, but Brown acknowledged this week that Ash was actually injured the previous game against Iowa State and made the start against TCU anyway.

The Longhorns will be without

two players who were suspended and sent home on Friday after a report surfaced that police were investigating a sexual assault allegation against them. The players have not been identified.

Armed Forces Bowl FORT WORTH — Troy Calhoun has exceeded some people’s expectations as Air Force’s coach.

After becoming the first academy graduate to become the Falcons head coach, the team was coming off three consecutive losing seasons. He was told by some it’d be an accomplishment to get to one bowl over the next five years.

Well, Air Force (6-6) will makes its school-record sixth consecutive bowl appearance on Saturday, against Rice (6-6) in the Armed Forces Bowl.

BRENT Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl TEMPE, Ariz. — While TCU was winning all those conference championships and busting the BCS, the Horned Frogs were knocked for playing a weak schedule.

Even though his team lost four of its final six games, TCU coach Gary Patterson said the Horned Frogs earned more respect going 7-5 in the Big 12 than it did finishing 11-2 as a member of the Mountain West last season.

Their next test will be Saturday night in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against Michigan State in what should be a defensive-dominated game.

The Spartans had the nation’s fourth-best defense and were 10th in scoring, while the Horned Frogs were 10th against the run.

Continued from Page 1B was on the Cowboys practice squad and played with Brent at the University of Illinois. The two men have been described as close friends. Brent has been placed on the NFL reserve/ non-football illness list and won’t play again this season.

No court dates in his case have been scheduled.

Heath Harris, the first assistant Dallas County district attorney, said prosecutors hoped to turn over evidence to Milner as soon as possible. He said he wanted to have the case tried “as quickly as possible.”

“It has the potential to send a strong message about how we feel about our intoxication laws,” Harris said.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B

HINTS | BY HELOISE HIDDEN NOTES OF LOVE Dear Heloise: My husband thought we should share a family tradition with your readers because he loves it. Our family lives all around the U.S., and we are always trying to find time to visit. Before we leave, we hide little folded (and dated) NOTES around their homes with messages about our stay, our love of them, wishing we could see them again soon, and silly thoughts about little things that will mean something to them.

We put them in their car glove box, cereal boxes, taped to the back of bottles, between their DVDs, in linen closets between towels, in the freezer, in bathroom drawers, in winter boots (leave these in summer so they will find them months down the road), in pockets of coats and under lamp bottoms.

The notes are warm reminders of the visit and usually bring smiles. I found one recently in my home that was 12 years old. My sisters started this for our mother when she would feel sad as we were all about to leave. She

“

HELOISE

loved it! — Skeeter Gurzick, Omaha, Neb. Charming! I sometimes slip notes into my husband’s luggage when he leaves for a trip. Surprise!

— Heloise PET PAL Readers: Carolyn Dunmyer of Aledo, Texas, sent in a photo of her two beautiful cats, who are brothers. They are Romeo and Valentino, who are quite comfy in a basket. Carolyn says: “Romeo and Valentino are two solid-white, domestic shorthair cats that we adopted from our local animal shelter as 8-weekold kittens. They are brothers and are real Italian lovers.” To see these cuddling kitties, visit my website, www.Heloise.com, and click on “Pets.” — Heloise PET POINTER Dear Heloise: Thank you for the great hint to use pill sorters for pets’ medicines! They will be great for kennel visits. — M.S., via email

PARDON MYPLANET

DENNISTHE MENACE

JUDGEPARKER

REXMORGANM.D. DAILY CRYPTOQUOTES | HERE’S HOWTO WORK IT:

FORBETTERORWORSE

Sports

4B THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2012

Nadal out of Aussie Open with virus

By JOSEPH WILSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADRID — Rafael Nadal will miss the Australian Open because of a stomach virus, further delaying his comeback after being sidelined since June.

The Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, begins Jan. 14. The virus kept Nadal from making his return at Abu Dhabi this week.

The Spaniard said Friday his withdrawals had nothing to do with the tendinitis in his left knee, which forced him to take a break last summer following his second-round loss at Wimbledon to then 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol.

Nadal also missed the London Olympics.

“My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors,” Nadal said in a statement.

“But this virus didn’t allow me to practice this past week, and therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open.”

The former No. 1 player hopes to return at Acapulco, Mexico, starting Feb. 27. However, he did not rule out playing an earlier tournament if his recovery went well enough.

“I always said that my return

Photo by Anja Niedringhaus | AP

Rafael Nadal is likely out until February after first suffering a knee injury and now a stomach virus that will sideline him from the Australian Open. to competition will be when I am in the right conditions to play,” he said. “And after all this time

away from the courts, I’d rather not accelerate the comeback and prefer to do things well.”

Rockets remain without White

Nadal, ranked No. 4, won the Australian Open in 2009. Last year, he lost to top-ranked Novak

Djokovic in a title match that lasted 5 hours, 53 minutes, the longest recorded Grand Slam final.

Nadal’s doctor, Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, said in the statement that Nadal needed at least a week to recover from the virus, ruling him out for the Qatar Open set to start on Jan. 2.

And Nadal’s coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, explained that Nadal had opted against making his return at Melbourne since he wouldn’t be physically fit to take on its five-set format.

“We consider not appropriate to play the Australian Open since we will not have enough preparation for a greater competition which is a Grand Slam tournament,” said Toni Nadal in the statement. “It is simply not conceivable that his first event is a best of five sets event, he wouldn’t be ready for that.”

Nadal’s knee injury prevented the 11-time Grand Slam winner from defending his Olympic singles gold at last summer’s London Games, where he was supposed to be Spain’s flag bearer in the opening ceremony.

He also had to pull out of the U.S. Open and Spain’s Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic, and his teammates lost without him.

Rangers grab Pierzynski as catcher ASSOCIATED PRESS

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI ASSOCIATED PRESS

MINNEAPOLIS — The question seemed to catch Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale totally off guard.

What is Royce White’s status with the team?

“Good question,” McHale said, taking an extended pause to contemplate his answer. “I don’t know. Royce has kind of been away from us.”

The 16th overall pick in the June draft hasn’t been around all season while he spars with the Rockets on how best to deal with his anxiety disorder and overall mental health.

White has been vocal on Twitter, at times expressing frustration with the Rockets’ perceived unwillingness to be accommodating to his condition.

He tweeted last week that the Rockets had yet to approve a mental health protocol that would allow him to return to work.

“Should I QUIT playing (because of) a (hashtag) MentalHealth protocol isn’t in place?” White tweeted. “OR should we PUT 1 in place.”

When McHale was asked about White on Wednesday night before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the coach reacted as if the swingman was one of the furthest things from his mind.

“He hasn’t been around,” McHale said. “I haven’t seen him. As crazy as it sounds, you’re just kind of going with the guys who are there.”

Of course, McHale has had other things on his mind as well. He returned to the team on Dec. 8 after nearly a month away to be with his family following the death of his 23-yearold daughter Sasha. In his first game back in his

Photo by John Raoux | AP

The Houston Rockets’ Royce White hasn’t been around while he spars with the Rockets on how to deal with his anxiety disorder. home state since Sasha’s passing, McHale was visibly emotional during pregame introductions, especially when the Wolves honored longtime fan Michael Stephenson, who suffered from cerebral palsy but was befriended

by McHale during his time as an executive and a coach here.

So far, the Rockets have been playing pretty well without White, a versatile forward the team drafted out of Iowa State in hopes of adding the multidimensional talents that made him one of the stars of

last year’s NCAA tournament.

After dropping his first two games back, the Rockets had won four straight and six of their last seven heading into the game against McHale’s former team. Greg Smith and Marcus Morris have been pleasant surprises in the frontcourt while Jeremy Lin has started to figure out how to thrive alongside scorer James Harden in the backcourt.

When asked if White would ever be back with the Rockets, McHale replied simply, “I hope so.”

ARLINGTON — A.J. Pierzynski can joke with Texas manager Ron Washington about last season’s All-Star snub now that he’s the starting catcher for the Rangers.

They shared a laugh over lunch a few days before Wednesday’s announcement that Pierzynski’s one-year free agent contract with Texas was complete. Both considered the All-Star issue dead after it happened in July, even though Pierzynski had a cryptic retort when Washington explained the difficulty of the decision.

“Everybody keeps trying to make a big deal out of it, but I’ve known Wash for a really long time,” Pierzynski said. “It’s not going to change the way I feel about Ron Washington because I know what he’s done in this game and I know where he stands and what he’s all about. It’s over and done with for me.”

Washington said Pierzynski will be the primary catcher, pushing Geovany Soto to the backup role after he re-signed as a free agent. Pierzynski hit .278 with a career-high 27 home runs in 135 games for the Chicago White Sox, while Soto took a pay cut after hitting .196 in 47 games following a trade with the Chicago Cubs.

Pierzynski, a two-time All-Star who has been to the playoffs four times and won the 2005 World Series with the White Sox, has long been known as an irritant to opposing players and even someone who didn’t always please his teammates either.

Washington says he always felt otherwise.

“I always loved him; I never hated him,” Washington said. “I always loved him because he always believed he did any-

Photo by Jim Mone | AP

A.J. Pierzynski has passed a physical, clearing the way for a oneyear deal with the Texas Rangers. thing and everything he had to do to try to beat you. I admired that.”

The Rangers needed a left-handed power hitter after losing All-Star slugger Josh Hamilton in free agency to the Los Angeles.

They also had a void at catcher because Mike Napoli, a key to Texas reaching a second straight World Series in 2011, bolted for Boston.

Soto became a free agent when the Rangers didn’t agree to a contract before a deadline earlier this month. But he eventually agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract, a more than 20 percent decrease from his $4.3 million payroll last season.

Terms of Pierzynski’s deal weren’t disclosed.

Pierzynski is a .284 career hitter in 1,629 games

with the White Sox (200512), San Francisco (2004) and Minnesota (1998-2003).

He could also play some designated hitter.

He caught 121 games last year, leads and all active players with 1,559 games as a catcher and doesn’t see a need to slow down even though he turns 36 on Sunday.

“Physically, I feel awesome,” said Pierzynski, who matched his career high with 77 RBIs last season. “Mentally, I’m as good as I’ve ever been. I always joke that I have to thank my mom and dad because they gave me good genes as far as health goes.”

To make room for Pierzynski on the 40-man roster, the Rangers designated catcher Luis Martinez for assignment.

Becks takes time to decide next move ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON — Nearly a month after leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy, David Beckham is considering “a number of serious proposals” but is in no rush to find a new team.

He has been linked to clubs in France, Australia and Asia in what would be the final chapter of the illustrious career of the 37year-old midfielder and former England captain.

A “host of clubs” have made offers, Beckham’s

management company said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday, but it remains “early days in the process.”

“David is in no hurry to make a decision, the key is making the right one as he has always done successfully in his career,” the statement said.

Beckham ended his fiveyear stint in the United States by helping the Galaxy win the MLS Cup on Dec. 1.

He has said it’s unlikely he will return to the Eng-

lish Premier League, where he starred for Manchester United from 1993 to 2003.

Beckham is also reported to have ruled out a move to Australia’s A-League.

The French sports newspaper L’Equipe said Thursday that Monaco, an ambitious French second-division club, has ended talks with Beckham, although his advisers have refused to comment.

Beckham has also played for Real Madrid in Spain and AC Milan on loan in Italy.

Photo by Mark J. Terrill | AP

Former Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham will take more time before deciding the next and likely last move for his career.