Some Pacific coast residents are pretty sure the government has forgotten them. They are the residents who have to cross the Río Rosario near Ostional and Nosara every day.

One expat estimates that several hundred people a day are totally dependent on this crossing, which can be a challenge when rains come and the river rises.

Motorists were encouraged six months ago when workmen drove metal beams into the ground and unloaded concrete panels. But since then, nothing, said the expat resident, Guy Yogev.

The work is under the jurisdiction of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes.

"Many people are depending on it, but its looks like no one in the government have the brains to just finish it up," said Yogev.
"Most of the investment is done now . . .  it's just to build it."

The new Chinchilla administration has inherited a long list of bridge problems because many spans lacked maintenance for decades. Some 29 bridges are scheduled to be replaced in the $33 million project that was just approved by the legislature. But it is unlikely that the Río Rosario job is among them.



Heavy rains and high seas
predicted for rest of week


The Central Valley was hit with heavy rains Tuesday. Meanwhile on the Pacific coast residents are facing the prospect of the highest seas of the year.

The Instituto Meteorológico Nacional said that the rains are normal at this time of year. And the same type of rain is expected this afternoon along with lightning and thunder. In addition to the Central Valley, the weather institute said that the Pacific coast and the northern zone would have rains.

The heavy rains Tuesday came a couple of hours earlier than expected, and the weather institute said there may be overnight rains that greet early risers today. Some Central Valley locations experienced flooding, and one pedestrian fell into a river from a bridge because the walkway was covered with water and mud. He was rescued.

The national emergency commission issued the warning about high seas based on information from Omar Lizano of the  Centro de Investigaciones del Mar at the Universidad de Costa Rica. In the past, lower sections of Puntarenas received some incursions from the sea.

The seas this week through Sunday are predicted to be about 3 meters or about 10 feet. Puntarenas is expected to get seas 3.24 meters high Friday.

The emergency commission issued an alert and gave a special warning to the communities of  Cuaguiniquil, Juanquillal, Sámara, Nosara, Barrio del Carmen, El Cocal, Playa Caldera, Playa Azul, Paso Seco, Bejuco, El Cocal and Boca Vieja.

The commission, correctly called the Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias, said that small boats might have a problem leaving rivers and entering the sea and that bathers should watch out for rip tides, especially from Thursday onward.

The seas are expected to diminish by Sunday.

Rising seas Monday night caused a small boat to overturn at Playa Guacalillo de Tivives in Esparza. The Servicio Nacional de Guardacoastas got the call from one of two fishermen who were dumped into the sea. He had a cell telephone. The pair hung on to wreckage for an hour before a coast guard launch appeared.

Expats are dictating values
to change culture here

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

In our six plus years of living in Costa Rica, becoming residents and attempting to assimilate into the culture, learn the language as best we could and avoid imposing ourselves upon the citizens of Costa Rica, we have enjoyed our life here. Yes, there have been problems: theft, worker, and other problems, but they have been put behind us. The culture and beliefs are different in Costa Rica, and some do not realize we are living in their country, not the country we left behind.

There has been a more recent trend by some Americans to make Costa Rica a part of what they left behind in the U.S. They want crime commissions, neighborhood watches, fraternal and business organizations, vast infrastructure improvements, and they would like to dictate their desires to local municipality and government officials.

This is another view of the "ugly American" that many foreign countries have of citizens of the United States. Arrogant, overbearing, and attempting to impose their will upon another country to make it like the United States.

Costa Rica is not the United States, it never has been and never will be. It is a Third World country. Their culture is vastly different, and attempts to impose conditions upon the people, municipalities, and government of Costa Rica is wrong and will not work. It will only widen the gap between the cultures.

In our rural location in the western Central Valley near San Ramón de Alajuela, we do not want to see or have any part of these efforts to change Costa Rica.

Recently there was a conflict in our home when a neighbor brought information regarding meetings of an organization in San Ramón attempting to induce people who were attending church services to attend a meeting to establish a local crime commission, knowing full well our personal objection to these efforts. It has resulted in a split in our community, our Church, has promoted bad feelings in our neighborhood, and a division between neighbors, and will most likely result in a church founded in our home to move to another location to avoid further conflicts.

Why? Because a few want to change Costa Rica to be exactly like the neighborhood they came from in the U.S. and have induced others to spread the message of their desires upon those who do not want any part of it. So long as these people and organizations do not attempt to impose their will upon those who don't want any part of it, they are free to do whatever it is they hope to achieve, but they should be aware that their actions are increasingly damaging the efforts of other Americans to be a part of the normal Costa Rican community life which we came here to participate in and enjoy.
                                                                                            
EDITOR'S NOTE: Mr. Stone is entitled to his opinion, but survey after survey show that Costa Ricans, too, are fed up with crime and insecurity. Tackling this problem is one of the priorities of the Chinchilla administration, and Ms. Chinchilla has sought input from everyone. To some extent, we must take the credit or blame for our nine years of aggressive reporting of crimes against expats and others. This has put the spotlight on the problem.

Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes photo