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A.M.
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June 19, 2017, Vol. 17, No. 120 |
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| A.M. Costa Rica Second News Page |
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Published || Monday
Edition, June
19, 2017 ||
Vol. 17, No.
120
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Sixth baby born
with Zika confirmed
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff The Ministerio
de Salud confirmed the birth of the sixth baby
infected by the Zika virus, this time in the
province of Guanacaste.
Children infected by Zika will likely develop microcephaly, a disease where the head is smaller than usual. However, the syndrome may also include blindness, deafness and difficulties in motor development and learning. The problem is associated with babies whose mothers contracted the virus during their pregnancy. Out of the six cases already confirmed, two happened in 2016 and four in 2017, according to data provided by the Ministerio de Salud. The underdevelopment of the head as well as the Guillain-Barré syndrome that causes temporary immobilization are the two most severe versions of the disease. However, in 80 percent of the cases, symptoms are not evident. As of March, the Congenital Infection Clinic of the Hospital Nacional de Niños keep 60 of these children under surveillance for their first two years because, they face the risk of developing other conditions in the future. In total, the health ministry registers 906 reported cases of Zika throughout the country in the first 22 weeks of 2017. Out of those, only 175 have been confirmed by laboratory. The highest incidence rates take place in the cantons of Siquirres, Orotina and Matina. This disease is transmitted by the sting of the female mosquito Aedes aegypti which often lay their eggs in places such as old tires, bottles and plastic debris; places with a high concentration of standing water. The Aedes aegipty is also the vector of dengue and chikungunya. In 2017, 1,072 dengue cases had been registered and 163 of chikungunya. In symptomatic cases, Zika produces an outbreak on the skin and a bit of fever and general malaise. Compared with the symptoms caused by dengue or chikungunya, Zika is more benevolent in its initial manifestations. Almost 2 million mosquito hatcheries have been destroyed, after visiting 326,000 homes and sprayed 140,824, according to Ministerio de Salud records. Pesticides should be exported to Dominican Republic, study says By the
A.M. Costa Rica staff
A new study by the Promotora del Comercio de Costa Rica has determined that local fertilizer and pesticide companies should take advantage of the opportunity to export to the Dominican Republic. The report says that, although the Dominican Republic is smaller than Costa Rica, 49 percent of its area can be used for agricultural production, making it a strong consumer of pesticides and fertilizers. In addition, the document stresses that the Dominican Republic is highly dependent on raw material both for the formulation and distribution of agrochemicals. Its 2016 imports exceeded $195 million while exports reached $22 million. The analysis adds that, although the Dominican Republic has strong suppliers such as China, the United States, Colombia, Canada, Germany and México, Costa Rica has the possibility of increasing its participation which currently comes in the 12th place. "During the study data collection, the Dominican Republic expressed great need for pesticides and organic fertilizers, bio-controllers, biological, botanicals and in general products for non-conventional agriculture, areas in which Costa Rica has important opportunities to position itself,” said Karina Lopez, Procomer Market Research coordinator. Some of the main agricultural products grown in the Dominican Republic are: sugar cane, rice, tobacco, coffee and others. For all those needs, Costa Rica could very well comply as a exporter and event in the consulting services field.  Ministerio
de Seguridad Pública photo
Morales
and Zamora pose with their mounts.
Officers
trained on equestrian care
By the
A.M. Costa Rica staff
Two officers of the mounted police for the Fuerza Pública were among the first trained by Colombian police officials on the art of equestrian blacksmithing. The course is taught by the Escuela Nacional de Carabineros with the presence of 14 different trainers from Colombia, the ministry said. The two officers chosen, Juan Morales and Yoser Zamora, are in Colombia to improve their performance in blacksmithing and veterinary aspects so that they can attend to the Fuerza Pública’s mounted police unit. The officers received vital training in the areas of horse hoof anatomy, first aid as well as basic veterinary skills, according to a report from the Ministerio de Seguridad Pública. This is the first part of the course, however. The members of the Policía Montada will next learn how to iron, in cold and hot, a technique to counteract infections of their mounts and substantially improve the performance of the horses in their human-partnered activities. According to the Colombian experts, the hardware allow horses to have a better equilibrium and balance by correcting as much as preventing any malformations they have on their legs.  Ministerio
de Justicia y Paz photo
The new
virtual reality set provided by the U.S.
government.
Embassy gives prison police VR
set
By the
A.M. Costa Rica staff
The United States Embassy recently donated a new toy for officers attached to the Policía Penitenciaria: a virtual reality system. The new system will allow prison police to practice in simulated scenarios involving kidnappings, hostage crises and other types of emergencies in the prisons, according to a statement by the Ministerio de Justicia y Paz. The past two weeks qualified professionals trained at least 10 instructors and gunsmiths on how to use the equipment and pass along the techniques to other officers in the system, the ministry said. The virtual reality system includes the software and three scenes to produce a 180-degree scenario that mimics weather conditions and trajectory of ammunition among other characteristics. Additionally, it recreates real spaces inside the prisons of Costa Rica as a module. “With this virtual system, our police will be training in the use of their weapons of regulation,” Pablo Bertozzi, the director of the prison police force, said. “The training is being jointly done with officials of the Fuerza Pública, who receive instructions from accredited officials who provided us the same Embassy of the United States.” One instructor, Miguel Chinchilla, noted that the hostage-taking module allows for students to become familiar with real situations where they will need to negotiate rather than shoot first. “The instructor can handle the scenario with a hostage and, depending on what the student does, can change the situations, whether the hostage shoots or surrenders.” Our reader’s opinion
We need your letters, readers
Dear A.M. Costa Rica: We need letters of support for our Alvaro Ugalde Marine Preserve. I am attaching the bill and the supporting document. NOW it is time to send the messages of endorsement for the bill 20.333. These messages, written in the form of emails, should be sent in Spanish to the following person: Sra. Hannia Duran, Comision de Ambiente, Asamblea Legislativa, email her HERE. In the message, it is necessary to include the name of the bill, “Ley de creacion de la Reserva Marina Alvaro Ugalde Viquez”, and the number “Expediente Nº 20.333”. The messages can be very short. Just one paragraph. Sierra
Goodman
Drake Bay Editor’s Note: Sierra Goodman of Drake Bay is a long-time defender of dolphin and whales. She is the owner of the Divine Dolphin and coordinator of the Marine Protected Area for Osa Peninsula campaign.
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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Published || Monday
Edition, June
19, 2017 ||
Vol. 17, No.
120
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| All-women's
march planned today in Siquirres to protest pineapple |
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By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
The Rural Women Network has denounced the imminent opening of a pineapple plant in the Louisiana community of Cairo, in Siquirres, Limón. They will hold march today from the village of Louisiana up to the Municipalidad de Siquirres. According to a statement, water from the area has been contaminated with agrochemicals used by pineapple companies around this place in the past. "Women have been affected by health problems from contaminated water, we have had to take care of our sick families because of agrochemicals," said the group in a press release. “As women, we know and we have lived the destruction that these companies cause, so we are not willing to allow one in our community.” According to the women's group, the Louisiana area includes a wetland where there are protected trees and many wild animals, such as the Guacamayas, arrive to eat there. Also in the area are the Peje, Louisiana and the Reventazon rivers. A pineapple production plant would affect these sources of water and bring problems of flies that would hurt livestock, they said. The women's group claims to have met with representatives of communities that have had to deal with pineapple problems in the past. In addition, protesters claim to have tried to communicate with the Municipality of Siquirres several times but without obtaining a response. |
 Federación
Conservacionista graphic
The pineapple is rapidly becoming a
negative symbol.For this
reason they request clear and transparent
information.
"As a Network of Rural Women we will continue to plant without agrochemicals, we will continue to defend the native seeds and chickens, we demand that the government respect our right to live a life free of contamination and not be indifferent to the poisoning of the country. |
| Festival
IntegrArte brings together communities and refugees |
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By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
The Festival IntegrArte finished up Sunday
at the Centro Nacional de la Cultura to much fanfare and
celebration of the contributions that varying refugee
groups have contributed to Costa Rica. “During the first day of the festival, hundreds of people approached the Fería de Emprendimiento where they verified the innumerable contributions of the refugee population to the national culture and economy,” a statement by the Costa Rican chapter of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees proclaimed. “Puppets, storytellers, theatergoers and dancers reminded the audience of the diverse and multicultural Costa Rica that we are.” The concerts by popular music groups Son de Tikizia and Malpaís drew at least a thousand people, organizers said. |
 UNHCR photo
Some festival-goers
enjoy a little hula-hooping.
The refugee agency was
the main organizer for the event and believed it
demonstrated the commitment that Costa Rican society
has toward supporting the rights of refugees.
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page |
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Published || Monday
Edition, June
19, 2017 ||
Vol. 17, No.
120
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| Higher presence of toxins in Costa Rica's corn,
researchers say |
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By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
The Laboratory of Analysis on Mycotoxins of the Center for Research on Grains and Seeds of the Universidad de Costa Rica, has discovered a higher presence presence of mycotoxins in the country’s corn. Mycotoxins are toxic substances, caused by the presence of a fungus, that effect both humans and animals, even in low concentrations. Currently, researchers study the presence of eight of them in comics típica like rice, beans and peanuts. In the case of corn, another fungus called fumonisin has been found. The fungus is listed as a possible carcinogen and is not regulated in the country. According to the study made the last year, there is a high prevalence of this toxin mainly in corn kernels. However, the researchers do not ring the alarms yet since this is a preliminary result after only one year of analysis of samples. It can even be a particularity of some specific crop. On a release, experts said aflatoxins and fumonisins are very common in the tropics, since the climatic conditions provide high temperatures and high levels of humidity. In fact, researchers at the laboratory urged the population not to worry too much, since there is still a lot of material to analyze and so far have not obtained a conclusive result. The purpose of this research is to generate enough scientific information to call for required regulations that may contribute to control these toxins in the future, according to researchers. Another axis of the project is help control the impact of these toxins on their crops. This can be achieved to some extent with biological control and genetic manipulation, researchers said. Regarding biological control, some practices include choosing grains, controlling plant stress, properly handling insects in the field and in storage, and not feeding animals with grains that are discarded. |
 Universidad de Costa
Rica photo
Scientist examines seedlings for possible
toxicity.This last measure is of
high importance, the researchers said.
Animals are quite susceptible to these toxins and, in addition, they can be transmitted to human consumers via milk and meat. The study was carried out with 250 samples of grains, and was made possible thanks to a new equipment recently acquired the lab that allow the analysis of eight types of mycotoxins at the same time. |
Here's reasonable
medical care
Costa Rica's world class medical specialists are at your command. Get the top care for much less than U.S. prices. It is really a great way to spend a vacation. See our list of recommended professionals HERE!amcr-prom
Household Furnishings  Fine Furniture of Sarchi - Sarchi, Costa Rica All our handcrafted products are made in Sarchi with pride and quality by artisans who are dedicated to designing, crafting, and delivering our furniture to you. Please visit our website and send us a picture and specifications of what YOU like, or just send us pictures from anywhere you wish. We will quote you right back with a more than competitive price and an on-time delivery date. Delivery and set up available throughout Costa Rica. We have different Costa Rican woods from which you may choose. www.FineFurnitureOfSarchi.com Contact information: Adolfo's Cell 506-8831-4306 Tom in the USA 803-261-6000 Email: Info@FineFurnitureOfSarchi.com 9218-8/25/17
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HERE! Page 3 is HERE! Page 5 is HERE! Page 6 is HERE! The sports page is HERE! Opinion is HERE! Classifieds are HERE! Plus useful links |
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and may not be reproduced anywhere without
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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Published || Monday
Edition, June
19, 2017 ||
Vol. 17, No.
120
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in
deadly mall bombing
By the A.M.
Costa Rica wire services
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is offering a $35,000 reward for information leading to the capture of those who set off a bomb Saturday in a luxury shopping mall. Three people were killed and nine wounded in the blast in the women's bathroom at Centro Andino in central Bogota. "In the face of cowardly acts like yesterday’s, Colombians must unite and be supportive," Santos said Sunday. "We will not allow what has been achieved so far to be stopped by a handful of extremists, cowards or those who do not want the reconciliation of the Colombian people." The bomb blew up next to a toilet while the mall was packed with shoppers getting ready for Father's Day. Those killed included a young French woman who was volunteering at a school in a poor Bogota neighborhood. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast. Suspicion has fallen on the country's second rebel group, the National Liberation Army, which refused to join the FARC rebels in signing a peace deal with the government. But the ELN, which is negotiating peace, condemned the bombing and attacks on civilians. It was behind a February attack that killed a policeman. Venezuela’s top court rejects bid to try senior judges By the A.M.
Costa Rica wire services
Venezuela’s Supreme Court has rejected a request from the country’s attorney general to put on trial several senior judges accused of favoring socialist President Nicolas Maduro. The court dismissed the proposal Friday as unfounded. It said Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz did not identify any alleged misconduct of the judges. Ms. Diaz has accused the judges of breaching the constitution. The legal challenge was the latest in a series of court challenges made by Ms. Diaz. Earlier in the month, she filed a legal challenge to President Maduro’s call to convene a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution. Ms. Diaz said the plan is unconstitutional and illegal because it is the sovereign people who have the power to demand a revision. The Supreme Court rejected the challenge Monday. The electoral chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice declares that the challenge filed by Luisa Ortega Diaz is inadmissible because it is an inept accumulation of pretensions, the court said via Twitter. Ms. Diaz is a former ally of Maduro who has turned against him and the ruling Socialist Party. The prosecutor, close to the late socialist President Hugo Chavez throughout his administration, said she considers Chavismo as a philosophy of life and that his legacy is being destroyed. Ms. Diaz said Monday her family has been threatened and followed by intelligence agents since she split with the government. More than two months of almost-daily street protests in Venezuela, primarily against the socialist government, have led to dozens of deaths. The president has grown increasingly unpopular as the country suffers crippling shortages of basic goods, including food and medicine. U.S. fighter jet downs Syrian regime warplane By the A.M.
Costa Rica wire services
A U.S. fighter jet shot down a Syrian warplane Sunday after it reportedly bombed U.S.-backed fighters battling Islamic State. The Pentagon said Sunday a Syrian SU-22 dropped bombs on coalition-partnered fighters near the town of Tabqah. A U.S. Super Hornet immediately responded and shot down the Syrian plane. There is no word on the pilot’s fate or any other casualties. Earlier, Syrian forces attacked coalition fighters in Ja'Din, wounding a number of fighters and driving them from the town. Coalition aircraft stopped the pro-regime forces from advancing on Ja'Din. The coalition contacted Russian commanders to set up a de-confliction line to prevent the fighting from worsening. The Pentagon says its actions Sunday were within the rules of engagement and collective self-defense of coalition forces. The Pentagon says the coalition's mission in Syria and Iraq is to defeat Islamic State. "The coalition does not seek to fight the Syrian regime, Russian, or pro-regime forces, but will not hesitate to defend coalition or partner forces from any threat." At least 61 declared dead in Portugal forest fires By the A.M.
Costa Rica wire services
A massive forest fire in central Portugal has killed at least 61 people, many of them burned to death in their cars. At least 59 people are reported injured in the fire that erupted amid an intense heat wave and rainless thunderstorms. Prime Minister Antonio Costa declared three days of national mourning, starting Sunday. "Unfortunately, this seems to be the greatest tragedy we have seen in recent years in terms of forest fires," he said. "The priority now is to save those people who could still be in danger." Costa said the death toll was lowered from the previously reported 62 victims because one person had been counted twice. However, he added that there's no point in feeling joyful for that, because surely we will find more victims as we progress. Police are searching charred areas of the forest and isolated homes for more bodies. Officials say hundreds of firefighters have been dispatched to battle the blaze in the mountainous area of Pedrogao Grande, about 150 kilometers northeast of Lisbon. Spain and France are sending aircraft to assist in efforts to douse the flames, authorities say. The European Union also is mounting an emergency assistance campaign. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the former prime minister of Portugal, said he was shocked and horrified at the many lives claimed by the fires. The U.N. chief commended the government, firefighters, emergency responders and civil society organizations that are sparing no efforts to battle the wildfire and help people in need. Jorge Gomes, secretary of state for the interior, said the flames moved with great violence. He said it was difficult to determine whether the people who burned in their cars were fleeing the flames or were taken by surprise.  Japanese
Defense Ministry
photo
Injured crew
member is carried on stretcher.
Navy
calls off its search
for seven missing sailors By the A.M.
Costa Rica wire services
The U.S. has called off its search for seven missing sailors after finding bodies in the sleeping compartments of the USS Fitzgerald, the Navy destroyer that collided with a massive merchant vessel off the coast of Japan early Saturday. "The search and rescue is over," U.S. 7th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin told reporters Sunday. U.S. authorities tacitly acknowledged there were no survivors, although Aucoin declined to say how many bodies had been recovered until relatives of the dead sailors are notified. Aucoin said that seawater gushed into sleeping compartments and that part of the ship's right side was caved in. "The damage was significant. There was a big gash under the water," Aucoin said at the Yokosuka naval base, home of the U.S. 7th Fleet. He spoke with the docked Fitzgerald behind him, after tugboats towed it ashore in the hours after the collision 104 kilometers southwest of Yokosuka, in a busy shipping channel. He said a significant portion of the crew was sleeping when the destroyer collided with a Philippine-flagged container ship, the ACX Crystal. Aucoin said the Fitzgerald is salvageable but that repairs will likely take months. There was no immediate explanation for the collision. Three other U.S. crew members were injured in the accident, including the vessel's commanding officer, Bryce Benson, with all of them undergoing treatment. Aucoin said, without elaborating, that Benson is lucky to be alive. Benson was in stable condition with a head injury. The two other sailors suffered cuts and bruises. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a sympathy message to U.S. President Donald Trump, saying, "We are struck by deep sorrow. I express my heartfelt solidarity to America at this difficult time." On Saturday, Trump said in a Twitter message, "Thoughts and prayers with the sailors of USS Fitzgerald and their families. Thank you to our Japanese allies for their assistance." The ACX Crystal sailed into Tokyo Saturday afternoon with minor damage to its bow. None of the 20-member crew on the Philippine-flagged container ship was reported injured. Aucoin said the Navy will launch an investigation into the collision because he believed that it is owed to the families and the Navy to understand what happened. "Unfortunately, we don't have the details regarding the conditions during the final moments, but hope that the investigation may shed some light on that matter," Aucoin said. The Fitzgerald and the ACX Crystal, a ship nearly four times the size of the destroyer, collided early Saturday. The 29,000-ton Philippine ship is 222 meters long, while the 8,315-ton Navy destroyer is 154 meters long. The U.S. Navy said the collision occurred about midship on the starboard side, damaging two sailor-berthing stations, a machinery room and a radio room. According to Jiji Press news agency, the ACX Crystal captain said his ship was sailing in the same direction as the U.S. destroyer and then collided. Such collisions between two ships are rare. Yukata Saito of the Japanese coast guard said conditions were clear at the time of the collision. "The volume of ships is heavy in this area and there have been accidents before," Saito told Japan’s public broadcaster NHK. Terrorism fears prompt Australian gun amnesty By the A.M.
Costa Rica wire services
The increased threat of terrorism and a flood of illegal firearms into Australia have prompted the government to offer its first national gun amnesty since a massacre at a former penal colony more than 20 years ago. In 1996, 35 people were killed by a lone gunman at Port Arthur in Tasmania. That tragedy prompted tough gun control measures. It is estimated there are more than a quarter-million illegal guns in Australia, although government officials concede the exact number is impossible to gauge. A recent proliferation of illicit weapons and the potential impact on national security, as well as concerns about organized crime, have prompted the government in Canberra to introduce a three-month amnesty, starting July 1. It will give Australians the chance to hand in their unwanted weapons without fear of prosecution. Anyone caught with an illegal weapon outside that period faces fines of up to $212,000 or up to 14 years in prison. Australian Justice Minister Michael Keenan says a deadly siege at a cafe in downtown Sydney in December 2014, the murder of a police accountant in Sydney a year later, and a fatal shootout this month in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton are evidence that an amnesty is needed. A similar deal followed the Port Arthur shootings in the mid 1990s, which also restricted possession of automatic and semi-automatic firearms. Thirty-five people died when a lone gunman, using a semi-automatic rifle, attacked a former penal colony at Port Arthur, a popular tourist destination on the island state of Tasmania. It was the worst mass shooting in Australia's history. Officials say the tough gun control measures brought in after the Port Arthur shootings have prevented further mass killings. Thousands march in Madrid; call Spain to accept refugees By the A.M.
Costa Rica wire services
Several thousand protesters marched Saturday in Madrid, urging the Spanish government to keep its commitment to accept refugees. Spain has pledged to allow 17,300 refugees from such war-torn countries as Syria, Iraq and Libya to settle in the country, as its part of a Europe-wide commitment to do more to help alleviate the continent's migration crisis. Amnesty International reports that Madrid has relocated or resettled only 1,304 people, less than 10 percent of its pledge. Throughout Europe, most countries have similarly small accomplishments, based on the pledges to take in refugees they made to the European Commission in 2015. The protest in Spain by dozens of nongovernmental organizations, including Amnesty International, was called just ahead of World Refugee Day on Tuesday. In 2015, the European Commission set a deadline of September 2017 to resettle or relocate 160,000 refugees throughout Europe. That number was later amended to 98,000 refugees after finding fewer people than expected were eligible for the program. As of early June, however, only about 21,000 asylum-seekers have been relocated. Of the many European states that committed themselves to accepting refugees, only Finland and Malta have met their obligations. Hungary, Austria and Poland refused to make a commitment to accept refugees, and Britain chose not to participate in the joint action. In addition, four European Commission members consisting of the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovakia accepted only very limited commitments. In Madrid, protesters marched in 40-degree Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit, temperatures Saturday, chanting, "No human being is illegal," and holding banners that read "Bridges not walls" and "Enough is enough." Christian Lele, 27, from Cameroon, climbed a border fence between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Melilla in 2014. Taken to several refugee centers, he ended up in Madrid, where he now works as a gardener. Lele said he was at the march as a sign of solidarity with others who are hoping to relocate in Europe. Also Saturday, a vessel operated by the Spanish aid group Proactive Open Arms arrived in the port of Pozzallo, in southern Sicily, with more than 600 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean Sea. The migrants had set out from Libya, the most common departure point for those trying to reach Europe by sea. By mid-June, the International Organization for Migration said more than 77,000 migrants had crossed the Mediterranean to Europe this year. The overwhelming majority, nearly 85 percent, arrived in Italy, with smaller numbers of migrants landing in Greece, Spain and Cyprus. During the same period, the organization said, 1,828 migrants died or disappeared at sea. During all of 2016, nearly 215,000 migrants arrived in Europe by sea; more than 2,900 died. The smugglers enlisted by migrants trying to reach Europe often place their human cargo in unseaworthy vessels. European ships rescue most of the people who arrive in Europe once they reach international waters. Judge declares mistrial in Cosby assault trial By the A.M.
Costa Rica wire services
A United States judge has declared a mistrial in the sexual assault trial of celebrity comedian Bill Cosby after jurors could not reach a unanimous decision about Cosby's guilt. The jury deadlocked after more than 50 hours of deliberation in Norristown, Pennsylvania, over charges that he drugged and then molested a woman in 2004. Prosecutors said immediately that they would retry the Cosby Show star, and he remains charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault. The jury seemed exasperated at times over the course of the week as it repeatedly asked the judge for clarifications of evidence or to hear testimony from the trial again. On Thursday, the fourth day of deliberation, jurors told Judge Steven O'Neill they were deadlocked, but he instructed them to keep working to try and reach a unanimous decision. On Saturday, after they reported to O'Neill they were at an impasse and would not be able to reach a consensus, he was forced to call a mistrial. The 79-year-old Cosby is charged with drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand, a former director of operations of the Temple University women's basketball team. He allegedly gave her pills that paralyzed her and left her unable to resist when he started touching her in his Philadelphia home. Cosby could go to prison for the rest of his life if found guilty. More than 50 women claim Cosby sexually assaulted them in incidents dating back to the 1960s, when he emerged as a major comedy star. Most of the alleged incidents occurred too long ago to be prosecuted now. Ms. Constand's complaint is the only one that has come to trial. Cosby has denied all the charges.
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contents
of
this
Web
site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado S.A.
2017 and may not be reproduced anywhere without
permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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| A.M. Costa Rica sixth news page |
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San
José, Costa
Rica || Monday
Edition, June
19, 2017 ||
Vol. 17, No.
120
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An ode
to my favorite odors Sometimes it’s all about fragrance. Sometimes you step into a vivero and your nose goes a little wild – and so do you.
Sometimes you can ask an employee: “What is that perfume?” and sometimes they know. Sometimes it is so distinctive that they can lead you right to it. Then again, you may find yourself sniffing a dozen roses before you find the rose that drew you to that nursery section. It’s a mystery. For me, the first one was Dafne odora, an amazing fragrance - and lots of it - pulling me through the rows of shrubs. Sadly, odora is also difficult to keep alive so I only had a few seasons of it in Georgia. Our tropical butterfly white ginger, on the other hand, can scent the yard and never stops spreading! Good stuff. Orchids can be “good stuff” for the nose. The gongora orchid I have blooming now gives off a scent of oil of clove while other orchids smell like lilies or lilacs. There are even competitions at some orchid shows based entirely on the fragrance of the flowers. I’m not ready for that yet. There are daytime scents in my yard. The ylang ylang always stops visitors when it is in flower and no wonder, since it is an ingredient in Chanel #5 perfume. Sadly, the tree is a favorite of leaf cutter ants as are the roses, producer of another favorite garden scent. Very frustrating. Then there is the angel trumpet with its long horn shaped flowers. I have one right outside my bedroom window and it makes the most wonderful fragrance every evening when it’s in bloom and it blooms almost year round. Why evening? Bats and moths that have the long tongues it takes to reach inside the flower pollinate the flowers. Then there are the tropical irises. Not as flashy as our bearded iris but just as fragrant. So far I have collected three colors – blue, yellow, and white. As an added plus, they are great re-bloomers. As a minus, they make a terrible cut flower and only last a few hours when placed in a vase. Finally, my favorite fragrance. The lilies are enormous flowers in solid colors or stripes with bulbs that can weigh 20 kilos and take two men to transplant. They are blooming now and I love them.
Plant for the Week
The
genus Abutilon, which I have mentioned
before, contains about 200 species and ranges from
shrubs to trees. Locally, it is called the flowering
maple due to its leaf shape. I mention it again
because I just located a lovely one with double
ruffles and wanted to share it. The plant is easy to
grow from cuttings and should be planted in full sun
once roots develop. After that, stand back and watch
it shoot up. As you can see from the picture, bees
love it.
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| From page 7: Costa Rican trade delegation heads for Japan By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
An official delegation from Costa Rica are on, what is being called, a high-level work tour in Japan beginning today in order to seek new markets for investment, trade and technical support to increase capacity in the country. The official delegation will be headed by Alexander Mora, the foreign trade minister, along with other members of the Ministerio del Comercio Exterior and the Coalición Costarricense de Iniciativas de Desarrollo. The tour will include promoting the country for investment and attending meetings with potential technological manufacturing investors as well as those in the high-end service sector and information technology, the ministry said. The delegation will also meet with the foreign affairs minister and deputy minister of the economy for Japan along with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and Japan Foreign Trade Organization. The former is an entity found in over 150 countries and assists and supports developing nations using grants and other financial assistance, Comercio Exterior said. The latter group is dedicated to promoting free trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world. “Strengthening trade ties with Japan is part of our central government’s efforts to diversify our economy and strengthen both trade and political ties,” Mora said in a statement. “The objective pursued by this work tour involves multiple aspects such as the promotion of investment in the country, platform events with potential investors, as well as one-on-one meetings with companies already established to strengthen relations.” The work tour will last all week until Friday. According to foreign trade officials, Costa Rica is currently a strategic partner for Japanese companies operating from the country to service its mainland operations such as: Bridgestone, Panasonic, MicroVention Terumo, TradeStation, Fujitsu, Toyota, among others. |
