Representatives from seven Central American nations discussed the security of tourists as well as the vast number of light weapons that can be found in each of the countries.

The occasion was a session on security at Casa Amarilla, the foreign ministry, here. At the meeting were high-ranking officials from each of the countries.

Measures against terrorism as well as a security treaty among the countries were the major topics.

The delegates also expressed pleasure that much of Central America is now free of anti-personnel mines. These devises were planted during wars, mainly in the 1980s. Costa Rica is only a few days 
from clearing the whole frontier with Nicaragua, 

Delegates also discussed advances in community policing and the status of light arms in Central America. 

Last December a similar group spent three days studying the problems with the possession of light arms by non-official persons in the area. A bound booklet containing a report from that meeting was available at the session Thursday. Basically, the security officials would like to eliminate the culture of the gun throughout Central America. The wars of the 1980s brought a lot of guns to Central America. These weapons are now in the hands of individuals.

In addition, immigration from current war-torn lands, such as Colombia increase the number of weapons that may be used in an illegal manner.

What would happen if you could put the whole Costa Rican electrical power grid in a box, play with it and predict how internal and external problems would affect the consumer?

Well, such a simulation exists, and students at the University of Costa Rica are getting an identical computer-driven toy.

The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, the university and Hydro-Québec, the big Canadian power company, announced an agreement Thursday that would benefit electrical engineering students.

Hydro-Québec will supply the technology and much of the hardware for the project, according to Lilliane Jaques of the Canadian company. She said the company’s gift was more than a symbolic act. It was an investment in the future of the company.

The Instituto de Electricidad already has such a simulation. It is used to predict what will happen if unexpected events affect the supply of power. But now students will have the same equipment, according to Emilio Alpizar, head of the power 

systems department at the university.

The simulation lab at the institute is nothing eye-catching. But the computers and the terminals allow engineers to solve technical problems.

Pablo Cobb, executive president of the company and Gabriel Macaya, rector of the university, also were at the session Thursday to thank the Canadian power company.

Watch out with those 10,000-colon banknotes. Agents arrested four men in the Canton of Turrialba who were passing bogus bills, they said.

Investigators warned that the scam might not be localized. The men arrested Wednesday are suspected of passing bills in Juan Viñas, Cervantes, El Recreo and places nearby.

The modus of operation was for a scamster to use a 10,000-colon bill (valued about $27.30) to 
purchase food products, such as rice and beans. The bulk of the money would be returned as 
change for the transaction, said investigators.

Some merchants quickly realized that they had been swindled, and called police. Investigators caught up with a car containing the four men and searched it. In addition to rice, beans, coffee, oranges and baked chicken, investigators found a stack of 72 false bills under the driver’s seat, they said. 

The false bills have the serial numbers of A 10559232, A 12551997 and A 10009058. Agents for the Judicial Investigating Organization warned that the same sort of phony bills might be making appearances all over the country. 

A youth in Heredia has died of hemorrhagic dengue, and health officials are gearing up for the worst. There is no letup in the rains.

The youth was the most serious victim of a epidemic that threatens to reach serious proportions as the virus-carrying mosquitoes proliferate due to recent wet weather and continue to move into the heavily populated Central Valley.

The dead boy was Daniel Poros, 16. There was no immediate indication why he died at San Vincente de Paul Hospital. More than 5,600 persons have come down with the disease. For most the illness is simlar to a heavy flu. But some develop the more serious hemorrhagic form.

The weather experts said that September is usually one of the most rainy of the year. So they expect that the unstable weather conditions will continue to bring heavy downpours along the Pacific coast and in the Central Valley.

The official forecast predicted more of the same for this afternoon. Thursday the skies clouded up and began dumping rain on San José at 2:30 p.m. A bit more than an inch of rain (25.8 millimeters) fell in a couple of hours, much more than the .37 of an inch registered Wednesday. However, the mornings and early afternoons were clear.

A 65-year-old U.S. citizen living in Puerto Jiménez had a marijuana farm in his enclosed patio, investigator’s said Thursday.

They arrested the man they identified as Martin Lane Mayfield, 65, a long-time resident of Costa Rica who has pensionado status.

Agents from the Judicial Investigating Organization alleged that Mayfield was growing the narcotic plant "on a grand scale" for sale.

Investigators said they found 148 marijuana 

In another case, Investigators detained three men in Barrio Christo Rey in San Isidro on suspicion of selling crack cocaine. They identified them by the last names of Hildalgo, 50, Carranza, 40, and Fernández, 60. 

The men were in a taxi when arrested, and agents said they found 400 crack rocks and about 80 grams (about 3 ounces) of cocaine base.

About 60 people showed up Thursday night to celebrate the change of ownership of Café de Artistas in Escazú. 

The new owner, William Hill, hosted German artist Hans Doller, who is a former resident of Costa Rica. Doller is known for his surrealistic paintings.

The cafe on a side street in San Rafael de Escazú has been known for fostering the arts. Doller displayed about 20 of his paintings, and at least three were sold by evening’s end. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Transportation Department has announced temporary flight restrictions for Sept. 11 in connection with public events held on the first anniversary of terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

The department detailed limits on flying in areas around the event sites and special procedures for airline planes departing from and arriving to all airports in these areas, in a news release Thursday.

It said that domestic and foreign airlines also will be affected by special air traffic management procedures. 
 

New alliance targets
coral reef preservation

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Better conservation of the Meso-American coral reef is the objective of a newly announced partnership between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.N. Foundation and Central American countries.

USAID and the U.N. Foundation will each contribute $1.5 million to the effort to help protect the largest coral reef in the Atlantic Ocean, according to a USAID statement released at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

The alliance will assist Central American governments in implementing a regional agreement to protect the reef, home to 65 species of stony coral and more than 500 species of fish. More than 2 million people depend on the reef for ecosystem goods and services, such as fishing and tourism.

Sixty percent of the remaining coral reefs around the world are under stress and considered severely threatened. USAID is helping 30 countries with coral reefs in order to promote protection and better management of these fragile ecosystems.
 

Argentina gets extension
on debt payment

The International Monetary Fund has delayed for one year a $2.7 billion debt payment owed by Argentina. 

The announcement of the extension was made by Roberto Lavagna, Argentine economy minister

The payment was due next week. 

Argentina has already been seeking billions of dollars in IMF loans to help deal with its worsening economic crisis. 

The IMF has conditioned future aid on Argentina's development of a viable economic recovery plan. Argentines regularly rally in the streets to protest the country's dire economic conditions, which have left many people without work.
 

Greenpeace protests
Summit results in Rio

RIO DE JANIERO, Brazil — Police here have detained five Greenpeace activists after they hung a banner on the well-known Christ Statue that overlooks the city. The banner was hung on the religious monument to protest what the activist environmental group says are the paltry results from the Johannesburg summit. 

The Greenpeace activists climbed the huge stone statue that sits on a peak overlooking the city and hung their banner across the outstretched arms of the Christ figure. The banner in yellow letters said: "Rio plus 10 a second chance?" 

It was a reference to the just-concluded Johannesburg summit on sustainable development, which was held 10 years after the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Greenpeace says the Johannesburg conference was a disaster because delegates did not make progress on climate change and energy use. The environmental group says it is especially disappointed over the defeat of an initiative by Brazil and the European Union to establish goals for increasing the use of renewable energy.

The United States and members of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are reported to have blocked the initiative. 

Frank Guggenheim, the head of Greenpeace in Brazil, told reporters that increasing renewable energy use by 10 percent in 10 years is achievable.

"We want 10 percent of renewable energy use in 10 years," he said. "This is the time frame for implementation, and without it all you have is a lot of talk and no action."

The Greenpeace protest was not approved by the Archdiocese of Rio, which owns the giant statue known as Christ the Redeemer. The activists who were detained Thursday could be charged with trespassing.

A statement by Greenpeace late Thursday said the protest was not aimed at harming the image of the Catholic Church or belittling a religious monument.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. James Jeffords introduced a bill Tuesday aimed at helping preserve the nesting habitats of marine turtles in foreign countries.

The Vermont senator submitted the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2002 and the bill was referred to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Jeffords, who left the Republican Party to become the only Independent in the Senate, is the chairman of that committee.

The Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2002, Jeffords told fellow senators, "will assist in the recovery and protection of marine turtles by supporting and providing financial resources for projects to conserve nesting habitats of marine turtles in foreign countries and marine turtles while they are found in such habitats."

In addition, he said, the bill would seek to prevent "illegal trade in marine turtle parts and projects, and to address other threats to the survival of marine turtles."

The proposed bill would authorize $5 million annually to fund projects to conserve marine turtles and their habitats.

INS releases 2001
US immigration stats

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service has announced that a total of 1,064,318 persons legally immigrated to the United States in fiscal year 2001.

Five countries accounted for 40 percent of the legal immigrants: Mexico, India, China, the Philippines, and Vietnam, according to a statement released Aug. 30.

Approximately 65 percent of legal immigrants settled in the following six states: California, New York, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, and Illinois.
 

Professional Directory A.M. Costa Rica's professional is where business people who wish to reach the English-speaking community may invite responses. If you are interested in being represented here, please contact the editor. Lawyers Legal and Business Consultants for Foreign Residents and Business Owners • Reliable and Responsive • Excellent References Darrylle Stafford, J.D.  US Lawyer • Consultant Lic. Rafael Valle CR Lawyer • Notary Lic. Ulises Obregón CR Lawyer • Notary Apdo. 11846-1000, San Jose, Costa Rica Tel: (506) 253-9655   Fax: (506) 280-4576 Cel: (506) 386-9324 Email: ulimar@costarica.net 7/16/02 Real estate agents Re/Max First Realty • Residential • Commercial Les Nunez Mercedes Castro (506) 290-3183 E-mail: remaxcr@racsa.co.cr www.remax-first-cr.com MARGARET SOHN  of Carico 15 years Costa Rican real estate experience Member of the Costa Rican Real Estate Association, Lic. #1000  Member, Costa Rican-American Chamber of Commerce margaret@caricohenderson.com www.caricohenderson.com (506) 232-5016 home   (506) 233-8057 office  (506)382-7399 cell  2/9/03 Interpreters and translators Interpreter/translator/Spanish instructor I´ll run your errands or go with you to ICE, lawyer, court, doctor, accountant or other, translate legal, real estate, residency or other documents. Learn conversational survival Spanish regardless of age or background. This is a relaxed learning experience, not a formal school. Telefax (506) 670-1055 in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste. bertaestrella@yahoo.com 10/2/02 Web design Professional Web site design and development in English, Spanish and Italian. Our services include: design and layout of Web site, search engine optimization and submission, Web  site hosting, e-commerce solutions (sell your products on your website by accepting credit cards online), registration of domain names and professional Internet consulting. We have complete 'one price' Web site packages that include design, marketing and hosting at low prices and includes a listing on our Web sites.  Visit www.istarmedia.net or e-mail us at webmaster@istarmedia.net or call at 399-9642 9/16/02

Two events will always remain in the memory of New York firefighter Dan Daly about the events that followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center: one tragic, the other inspirational.

The tragic event occurred when Daly and scores of other volunteers were working the "pile" to rescue the living and recover the dead at the site of the collapse of the Trade Center's two skyscrapers — the six-hectare (17-acre) area now called "Ground Zero" where the attack took place in the New York City borough of Manhattan. While digging, Daly saw what he took to be a woman's hand sticking out from the rubble.

"The hand wasn't attached to much else," Daly recounted in an interview before he was to embark on a U.S. State Department-sponsored speaking tour of three Latin American countries on the terrorist attacks in New York. "The lady had a wedding ring on her hand which just stopped me cold. I said, My God, this woman had a husband, probably had children, she had a wedding, she had a life. This isn't just a piece of flesh."

The inspirational moment came several weeks later when rescue workers were feeling discouraged "and our spirit was starting to break about the utter hopelessness of the situation," Daly recalled. "I remember looking from my position on top of the pile and seeing, as if for the first time, the hundreds and hundreds of workers that had come from all over the country to help out. I said, 'yes, this is a terrible tragedy, but look at all the people who are with us digging on their hands and knees'" during the horrible time that followed the collapse of the Trade Center towers.

Daly said people from all walks of life had joined in the rescue and recovery effort where the attacks left a huge hole in lower Manhattan. The trade center buildings had once been a spectacular feature of the city skyline. But as one observer put it, the terrorist attacks not only changed New York's skyline, they changed the political and emotional landscape of the United States.

Daly was one of the lucky ones: 343 New York firefighters lost their lives trying to rescue those trapped in the wreckage of the Trade Center.

He recalled with gratitude the college students who brought cold drinks to dehydrated workers, chiropractors massaging sore muscles of those who worked 12 hours straight day after day searching for any signs of life, restaurateurs who brought food for those who were so caught up in their grueling and dangerous digging through twisted steel and burned metal that they hadn't stopped to eat.

Daly said seeing the woman's hand symbolized the horror of the momentous events of Sept. 11, in which more than 3,000 people died. But in the wake of evil, there was also good — in the form of people coming together to save lives, Daly said.

The 24-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department, who is now retiring from the force,
calls terrorism a threat unlike any other the 
 

United States has faced. He says bumper stickers on cars calling on Americans to never forget Sept. 11 are well intentioned, but much more is needed to prevent another such tragedy.

Although he calls himself a "blue-collar worker" and not a philosopher, Daly said the lesson from Sept. 11 is that individuals must take a hard look at themselves and "see how we can shift our lives to better relate to other people," especially those from other cultures.

Daly said that during his trip to Latin America he hopes to convey the message that terrorism has no borders, that it can happen anywhere unless governments and average citizens remain vigilant.

The firefighter's trip to Latin America immediately follows a Monday ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, where Daly plans to offer a personal testimonial on the events of September 2001. That event will showcase a State Department-sponsored photography exhibit called "After September 11: Images from Ground Zero."

The exhibit features 27 photos by Joel Meyerowitz, the only photographer allowed unimpeded access to the attack site. The exhibit, jointly developed by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Museum of New York, has previously been shown in many other cities around the world, including Panama City, Panama; Rome, Italy; Abuja, Nigeria and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Daly's Latin American trip will take him to Brazil, Paraguay, and Nicaragua. The State Department asked Daly to make presentations about Sept. 11 after learning of his work as a gifted volunteer public speaker on behalf of the New York City fire department.

Daly said he was moved to appear on behalf of the U.S. government because of the deep loss he felt on account of the many firefighters who died trying to save lives at Ground Zero. Daly said his visit to Latin America will include meetings with fellow firefighters, who he said have forged a "strong brotherhood" with their North American colleagues.

Latin American audiences should expect to be emotionally swept up by Daly's words about Sept. 11. "All of us changed a little that day," he pointed out. "We vowed to be more caring, more understanding, to take more time out for our family and friends." His message of hope, Daly said, seeks to fill the huge hole left in Manhattan after terrorists hijacked two jets and crashed them into the twin towers, causing their collapse.

He anticipates that he and his colleagues in Latin America will have much to discuss. One important topic, Daly said, is the structural changes to high-rise buildings in Latin America that might keep them safe from terrorist attack, in view of the attacks that felled the World Trade Center towers.

His speeches in Latin America will focus on the need for all nations "to stand strong against terrorism," Daly said. "All nations must realize that if terrorism exists anywhere, it is a threat to us all. In just a few days I will be retiring from the fire service and continuing my presentations [for the State Department] overseas. I believe all of us must do all that we can to fight the evil of terrorism. It is a battle we must not lose."