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Second news page |
 Click HERE for photo tour of 526 properties for SALE or RENT in Escazú, Ciudad Colón, Santa Ana, Rohrmoser, Curridabat, Heredia and the Pacific Coast. |
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| Costa Rica Expertise Ltd http://crexpertise.com E-mail info@crexpertise.com Tel:506-256-8585 Fax:506-256-7575 |
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will begin Feb. 16 By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
They may be squeezed rather than eaten, and they may be green, but the oranges in Costa Rica are still just as tasty and sweet as those produced in Florida and California. To celebrate the popularity of the fruit, the Canton or Mora is holding the Feria Expoturística de la Naranja Feb. 16 through the 26 in the old market of Ciudad Colón. This is the seventh such festival, which happens annually, and organizers said that this time they hope to distinguish the cultural aspects, the food, the traditions and the farmers of the region as much as the fruit itself. Visitors can buy oranges at the fair for cheaper than they normally cost at the store, organizers said. In addition, basic grains, honey, indiginous art and much more will be for sale, organizers said. The Canton of Mora has some 120 orange farmers that work some 400 hectares of orchards, said the Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería. New stops specified for Cartago-San José bus By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A new company is taking over the bus route between San José and Cartago at midnight Saturday, and new bus stops have been designated. Officials also have adjusted the routes to keep buses traveling from Cartago from using Avenida Principal. The company Lumaca has two routes between Cartago and San José. One passes through San Pedro and the other goes further south through Zapote. But San José stop for the Cartago bus via Zapote will be on Avenida 2 opposite the Teatro Nacional. The route via San Pedro will have its stop also on Avenida 2 one block east of the building of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social. In Cartago, the route via San Pedro to San José will board a block and a half north of the Cartago ruins opposite the restaurant As de Oros. The bus taking the route via Zapote to San José will board two blocks north of the ruins. The bus passing through San Pedro will enter San José via Avenida Principal and turn north to pass by the Estación al Atlantico and the north side of Parque Nacional. Passengers will get off opposite the Hotel Del Rey. Officials said they wanted to keep the bus from passing along the south side of the Asamblea Legislativa. The bus via Zapote will enter the city in the south and approach the center of town via Calle 3 to the stop opposite the Teatro Nacional. U.S. Embassy closed for Martin Luther King Day By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
In commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the U.S. Embassy will be closed Monday. The embassy will return to it's normal hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts at gaining equality for blacks in the United States. He was assassinated April 4, 1968. Musicians from Cornell plan Matapalo concert By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Wind Ensemble of Cornell University will be in Matapalo, Guanacaste today, where the 45 student musicians will give a free concert for the community. The orchestra members also will distribute musical instruments and share their skills with students from area schools. The ensemble is directed by Cynthia Johnston. She will lead the group in its first public concert in the Central Valley at the Parque Central de Tres Rios at 7 p.m. Monday. Wednesday the orchestra will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Teatro Eugene O'Neill at the Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano in Los Yoses. During the visit here, the orchestra members also will meet with the Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil at Country Day School. The wind ensemble of the Ivy League university in Ithaca, N.Y., has adopted Costa Rica as its principal project for the 2006 school year. Talamanca farmers plan agricultural fair there By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
For the sixth year, farmers from Talamanca in Limón have organized a fair to show visitors all of the agricultural products of the region as well as traditional art and food. The fair, scheduled for Feb, 10, 11 and 12 will bring some 25 groups of organic farmers and artists to Suretka, Talamanca. There will also be performances and sporting events, organizers said. The majority of the producers are indiginous to Talamanca and use environmentally friendly techniques to farm their crops, organizers said. |
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Third news page |
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| Lazy days and a son with a craving for gallo pinto |
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| Whatever happened to
the
lazy, hazy days of summer? It seems every time I have met someone in
the past week the greeting has been "Can you believe this cold
weather?" And then, suddenly, the sun came out and a taxi driver said
to me "That sun is really hot, isn't it?" "Yes," I said, smiling happily. But that leaves lazy. Going downtown it looks as if it is still the Christmas rush. People are everywhere going in and out of stores in the restaurants, filling the streets. I recall seeing movies of city scenes that showed the streets milling with people. I figured they were using thousands of extras to fill the streets, but that is the way downtown San José looks all the time. Also precluding a lazy time is the visit from my son. He went on a short excursion and on the way had some gallo pinto. Now he has a craving for gallo pinto, and we are trying to figure out where he can find some at seven o'clock in the morning. I tried to explain how to get to various possibilities. He, in turn, asked useless questions like, "What street is that on," "What's the name of the street?" Explaining the bus system and bus routes is no easier. What seems so simple to me is baffling him. I then tried to explain the very logical layout of the city — all the streets and avenues stemming from Avenida Central and Calle Central and how odd and even works. However, before I could explain further, he said, "If there are no signs telling us the names of the streets. What good is your explanation?" I allowed as how that was a point well taken. You just have to be here a while to get the idea. Finally, at 8 a.m. he decided to try a local B&B that served breakfast. On the way he stopped at the little sidewalk café/soda on the corner (the one I suggested in the first place). The gallo pinto was okay. The pretty young lady behind the counter and the people-watching were okay, too. Then, like most visitors to this country, he wanted to look for something to take back home. I decided it was easier to go with him than to explain how to get |
to the stores. I insisted we take the bus. Justin is 6 feet, 4
inches,
and he found the seats cramped (actually, he banged his knee on the
seat in front). Standing was no easier — a bump would send his head
into the roof. Very tall people are the exception here. I like it that
way. When I attended a reception at the U.S. Embassy, the tall Marines
and other protective types standing around me made me feel like I was
in the redwood forest of California. I had some errands to run, so I sent him off to where I
thought he
would find a place to get a haircut. On his own he found (on Paseo de
los Estudiantes) a beauty college and got a satisfactory haircut for
500 colons (about $1). Later a shoe shine cost him $2. But with tennis
shoes and so many cars, the shoe shine business here has fallen on hard
times. My friend Anabel told me that all the shoe-shine people have
gone into business guarding parked cars on the city streets. |
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| Black market peso exchange included U.S. assesses threats of money-laundering techniques |
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Special to A.M. Costa Rica
The U. S. government has released the inter-agency U.S. Money Laundering Threat Assessment, the first government-wide analysis of its kind, which investigates money laundering vulnerabilities across a spectrum of techniques used by criminals. "Before you can effectively treat a problem, you must first have an accurate diagnosis. The Money Laundering Threat Assessment integrates information contributed by sixteen government agencies, as well as vital Bank Secrecy Act data provided to Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to evaluate the range of current and emerging U.S. money laundering threats," said Stuart Levey, Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. "This is an example of government cooperation at its best." Sixteen U.S. bureaus, offices and agencies collaborated on the assessment from the Departments of Treasury, Justice, Homeland Security, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the U. S. Postal Service. "One of our critical missions is to protect the integrity of our financial system. This comprehensive assessment is a significant step towards stemming the flow of illicit proceeds into the United States and insuring that our financial institutions are not utilized to facilitate terrorism or criminal activities," said Chris Swecker, assistant director, Criminal Investigative Division of the FBI. Each chapter of the money laundering threat |
assessment profiles the
characteristics of a specific method of money laundering, outlining the
current legal and regulatory landscape and presenting known patterns of
abuse, geographical concentrations, and real-world case studies. "Our teams of civil and criminal investigators are committed to the government's National anti-money llaundering efforts," said Richard Speier, acting IRS chief, Criminal Investigation. "The scope of our commitment is demonstrated by the fact that the IRS has on-going civil and criminal investigations in each of the 13 identified categories found in this threat assessment." The laundering methodologies investigated range from banks and money transmitters to alternative methods, such as casinos and trade-based money laundering. The assessment also looks at new and emerging industries, such as online payment systems and stored value cards, which are vulnerable to illicit financial activities. "From Hawalas to the Black Market Peso Exchange to the bulk smuggling of cash across our nation's borders, DEA is targeting drug traffickers' tainted profits like never before," said Donald C. Semesky Jr., DEA's chief of financial operations. "Last year, DEA seized a record $1.9 billion from the pockets of greed-driven drug traffickers worldwide. The money trail that leads to drug traffickers' wallets is the same trail that will lead to their ultimate demise," The full Money Laundering Threat Assessment is available HERE! |
| Presidential poll in Chile favors Michelle Bachelet in
Sunday's runoff |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
SANTIAGO, Chile — Chilean presidential candidate Michelle Bachelet remains the front-runner for Sunday's runoff election, as the final day of campaigning draws to a close. Poll results issued Thursday suggest the socialist Bachelet will get some 45 percent of the vote on Sunday, compared to 40 percent for her rival, businessman Sebastian Pinera, the candidate of a |
rightist alliance.
Fifteen percent of the 1,200 people surveyed last week said they were
undecided. If elected, Bachelet will become Chile's first female president. She shares her center-left support base with current President Richard Lagos, under whom she served as defense minister. Bachelet won Chile's first round of elections in December with 46 percent of the vote, just short of the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff. |
| Brazil says that U.S. wants to torpedo its arms deal with
Venezuela |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Brazil's foreign minister has said he has seen indications the United States wants to block a sale of Brazilian-made military aircraft to Venezuela. Foreign Minister Celso Amorim told reporters Wednesday he intends to discuss the matter with U.S. officials and try to convince them not to prevent the sale. He says he believes Venezuela is a threat to no |
one and that
disagreements over internal policies should not restrict transfers of
technology. Amorim's comments came after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Tuesday alleged Washington wanted to veto his deal with Brazilian aircraft-maker Embraer because the planes use U.S. technology. A U.S. State Department spokesman said the U.S. had let Brazil know it had concerns about Venezuela's arms acquisitions. |
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