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| A.M. Costa Rica Second newspage |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Friday, Nov. 6, 2009, Vol. 9, No. 220 | |||||||||
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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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Our readers' opinion
Arenal-Tilarán highwayis a tragedy in the making Dear A.M. Costa Rica: How many persons have to die at one time for someone to pay attention to road conditions? A bridge caving in with multiple deaths did stir some interest and a resignation. Maybe President Arias could tour the roads of his country to see if his people are really safe everywhere. On a trip from Nuevo Arenal to Tilarán, about 32 kilometers or less than 20 miles, there are over 1,000 significant potholes in the road, enough of them to cause a serious accident. This is the route to take to and from Liberia and the beaches to Volcán Arenal and Tabacón. Probably thousands of tourists weekly use this route to reach their desinations using van services and buses. If a bus detoured around a pothole and rolled over the hillside, would this cause another resignation by an official? And what an impression tourists must have of this country. Such a beautiful scenic ride along the largest lake in Costa Rica that soon may become impassable. One part of the road has broken away and is in danger of being catastrophic if the road gives way from an overweight truck or a bus filled with passengers. President Arias, I invite you to take a ride from Cañas to La Fortuna. Look at the conditions. Make a plan to improve it. Begin with actions to make repairs and you will get positive publicity. You can even stop over at my place and have a chat, something to drink and some good Mexican food. Thomas
Ploskina
Nuevo Arenal Every place has problems, and Panamá also does Dear A.M. Costa Rica: In reference to Scott Johnstone´s letter Wednesday I would like to say that I have a friend who is a Panamánian native who has lived in Canada for 35 years and is a Canadian citizen and has also lived in Costa Rica for 20 years and is retired. I received an e-mail from my friend who relocated to the "paradise" described by Scott who said that banks, government offices, etc. are closed for over a week for the celebration of their independence day on Nov 3 and that in David it is very difficult to get good and reliable workers just like in Costa Rica. Food might be a little cheaper in Panamá, but the ordinary Panamánian doesn´t enjoy the real quality of life that the ordinary Costa Rican does. Yes, Panamá may have better roads. I doubt it has better "security" as there are also iron bars on their homes like in all of Latin American and now in the southern part of the U.S.A. Panamá doesn´t have a total open door policy towards foreigners as it is pictured. It has many restrictions. Sam Taliaferro the realtor in Panamá says so. Another friend originally from the U.S.A. who tried to relocate to Bocas del Toro on the Atlantic side of Panamá has had so many difficulties in opening a business there that he has decided to abandon his idea of relocating to Panamá. Everywhere has its "pro" and "cons" and it is the beholder who considers if it is the "right place" for him or not. Paradise exists in the mind and concept of the person. Both Costa Rica and Panamá have their "pro" and their "cons." What´s acceptable to one person may not be so to another. One cannot condemn a place because it is not your cup of tea. Costa Rica is not perfect but it is still better than many other places. Carl
Lawrence
San José Hacker baits Casa Presidencial By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Web page for Casa Presidencial has been out of service for at least 36 hours because a hacker posted a Nicaraguan flag there. Presidencial employees are playing the blame game as they cite faulty equipment or failed security. Casa Presidencial upgraded the Web page about six months ago,and there is a good chance that access passwords were distributed then. Meanwhile, officials are blaming a Nicaraguan hacker because of the flag posted on the site. The site still was down early today. Two murders in Limón By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A prisoner in the Unidad de Admisión de Sandoval died Thursday morning when he was knifed during a fight at the prison facility. He was identified by the Judicial Investigating Organization as Alexander Ortíz Figueroa. Agents have a suspect. Also under investigation is the murder of a former prison inmate, identified as Vinicio Raw Gómez. He died near his home when someone shot him four times at close range, said agents. A potential suspect was being sought. The man left prison only a week ago after serving a term for robbery. He was in the same facility as Ortiz
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| A.M. Costa Rica third newspage |
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Voters will
have 10 colorful candidates to select Feb. 7
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The event was a lottery in every sense of the word. Political parties gathered Thursday to determine their place on the February ballot. After a process of applying the laws of chance, some 53 political parties, national, regional and from specific cantons had their place. Héctor Fernández, director of the Registro Electoral, was in charge. He called the name of each enrolled political party, and a representative came to him to select a sealed envelope. The envelope was sort of like a raffle ticket. Then Fernández used one of those wire baskets frequently seen in casinos and at lottery drawings. After spinning the basket, the director produced a numbered ball. The political party with that number got that place on the ballot. A good ballot position is supposed to generate more votes, according to political wisdom. If that is the case, the big winner Thursday was the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana. It got the upper left location on the presidential ballot for its candidate Luis Fishman. Integración Nacional, a new party, was second. Eugenio Trejos, rector of the Instituto Técnico de Costa Rica, is the presidential candidate for that party. It is a collection of organizations and individuals who opposed the free trade treaty with the United States. |
 This
is the presidential ballot
Liberación Nacional, Movimiento Libertario and Acción Ciudadana, all contenders, ended up in the second row. The locations are fixed and no changes are permitted. |
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Lawmakers turn
their eyes to outer space and objects there
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Costa Rica may soon join many other nations that have approved an international treaty to register objects launched into outer space. The treaty dates from 1974, but Costa Rica had no reason to pay attention because it has no presence in outer space. The Comisión Permanente Especial de Asuntos Internacionales y Comercio Exterior gave the treaty an OK and sent it to the full legislature. The treaty action was |
instigated by Franklin Chang
Díaz, the Costa Rican-born U.S. astronaut. He and his colleagues at a plasma rocket plant in Liberia would very much like to launch something into outer space. Among other obligations in the treaty is one to help other nations when an unidentified space object causes damage or could be dangerous. Change has suggested that Costa Rica could become a world leader in monitoring and identifying space objects. Chang has said six local companies are working to do just that. |
| Now here is a really quiet place to take a
little stroll |
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| The bougainvillea
bushes are displaying their green leaves right now with only a few of
their bright colors showing. I notice, too that the orange trees
(flame of the jungle?) look half dressed. Remembering that Monday
was the Day of Deceased Saints in Costa Rica (how nice to think that
when you die you are considered a saint), and a day when family and
friends of the fallen visit them with flowers in the various
cemeteries, I thought this week would be a good time to visit the huge
cemetery on Avenue 10. I have passed it dozens of times, but
never stopped there. Maybe I would see the flowers I was missing along
the street. The kind bus driver told me the exact bus stop that would be convenient to the cemetery. Once I entered the gate, I realized how huge it really was — as big as the village I grew up in, except, of course, much quieter. There were few people that day, the most numerous being the caretakers who seem to be doing a good job on the grass that surrounds each tomb, sepulcher, or small chapel. Unfortunately, flowers were pretty scarce there, too. The names on the tombs were familiar names in Costa Rica. It was the dates of birth and death that interested me most. The earliest I saw was a Carranza, born in 1800. The gate of the fence around a small chapel was open so I walked to the door and peeked in. The tall alabaster angel guarding the gate didn’t seem to mind (attentive angels of all sizes and ages are everywhere in the cemetery). Inside, besides a small altar, all I could see was fallen plaster on the floor. It looked forlorn. The tombs were all shapes and sizes. The Family Chang had pictures of their deceased embedded in the walls of their mausoleum, and the flowers surrounding it were fresh and well cared for. The most impressive resting places were a pyramid, a large tomb with a replica of the Pietà on top it, and the most beautiful — to me — a large shiny ebony sepulcher on which rested a sleeping young woman, not an angel, smoothly carved in alabaster. It was surprising. I left thinking, if someone wants a peaceful walk in the city, this is the place to go. Then I caught a bus for downtown, opened my book, which had just a few pages left to read. By coincidence I was reading “The Book of Walla,” by M. Ram Krishn and printed by Llumina Stars in Coral Springs, Florida. |
I found the various defenses and cross examinations to
be
intriguing and could understand how a wise verdict would be difficult. |
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| Real
estate project also teaches ways to produce food |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A former Minnesota mortgage broker is combining land development with education and sustainable living with the hopes of teaching others how to create an abundance of food on a small piece of land. The man is Jim Gale, and the educational arm is being called Permaculture University. It is in the Cantón de Osa. Gale is beginning his first 14-day class Jan. 10. He has a U.S. teaching degree, but, despite the name, the school is not certified yet. Students will have a 700-acre classroom with the opportunity to learn animal husbandry, gardening, tilapia farming and small-scale solar energy use. Gale has combined the teaching arm with a development, Osa MountainVillage, which he hopes to make self-sustaining. Of 19 two to three-hectare lots, 11 already are sold, he said, and some of the purchasers are heavyweight U.S. corporate leaders. There also are 150 condos planned. The idea is that the condo dwellers, those living in a proposed tent cabin hotel and those on the large lots will grow their own food and take part in working for the community good. Gale said his is not a retirement community but a working community, and he already has spent $190,000 in obtaining the appropriate construction permits. Unlike some of the other development projects that started with glowing claims and ended with unhappy purchasers, Gale said he owns the property outright and that he will escrow money paid by potential purchasers. Right now the training center is not heavy on livestock. Gale said there is a goat, a pig and a horse. But, he said, |
 Clip from the
Permaculture Web site.
class does not start until January and already four or five persons have signed up. The $1,450-plus fee includes living arrangements, food and Spanish classes. Assisting with the agricultural training is a Costa Rican, Paulo Faerron, a graduate of EARTH University, and Richard Cucchiara, who has a doctorate in agriculture, Gale said. Already some individuals are taking advantage of the project. Gale said one man has set up a canopy tour taking advantage of the sharp change in elevation on part of the project. Another person has a fishing boat business. A third is a healer, a fourth gives mountain bike tours and a fifth plans and produces weddings, he said. These are the type of people he said he sees contributing to the community and living in the condos once they are constructed. They live nearby now. Several real estate brokers are getting ready to offer the condos with some being designated for factional ownership. Gale, his wife and three daughters live in nearby San Isidro de Pérez Zeledón. |
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| More
Internet cafes get an official blessing from new telecom agency |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The telecommunications authority is in the process of authorizing hundreds of Internet cafes which offer services to the public. The entity, the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones, said Thursday it had approved 125 more Internet cafes. A list was published in the La Gaceta official newspaper last week, the agency said. |
Although Internet
cafes have been operating in the country for nearly
15 years, the new telecom law says that they must get approval from the
Superintendencia. Of those cafes approved, some 37 offer communication
services via voice-over-Internet. Those outlets that have received approval filed their requests in June and July, the agency said. Some 77 Internet cafes already have been approved and announced, and about 400 are in the process of being approved, said the agency. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Friday, Nov. 6, 2009, Vol. 9, No. 220 | |||||||||
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| Micheletti
takes first step to comply with accord By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Honduran President Roberto Micheletti has asked his ministers to step down so that a government of national reconciliation can be formed, according to his Casa Presidencial. Such a government was part of the agreement made with representatives of ousted president José Manuel Zelaya last week. In a presidential statement, Casa Presidencial said that Micheletti asked presidential candidates and members of society, including Zelaya, for a list of 10 names of persons who could serve in the new interim government. He received some names. However, there appears to have been no nominations from Zelaya. Micheletti met with his ministers Thursday afternoon to ask for their resignations and to comply with the calendar of the accord that set Thursday as the day for a new government. Casa Presidencial said that the fact that Zelaya has not produced a list of names generates uncertainty as to his will in complying with the accords. Zelaya still is in the Brazilian Embassy. Micheletti has succeeded in putting the burden on Zelaya, who continues to lobby for his immediate reinstatement. Zelaya was ousted by the military with the urgings of the supreme court and the congress last June 28. Honduras was blacklisted by the hemisphere's nations, including the United States for what appears to have been a coup. Micheletti's camp continues to argue that the action was legal. A week ago negotiators, under pressure from U.S. State Department officials, announced an accord that follows closely that proposed by Costa Rican President Óscar Arias Sánchez shortly after the military delivered Zelaya to Costa Rica. The accord generated praise in the diplomatic community and suggested that other nations would accept the results of the Nov. 28 presidential elections in Honduras. The United States, other nations and the Organization of American States had said the election would not have validity unless Zelaya were returned to office. His term runs until January. The Honduran congress still has to vote to approve the agreement, but that is considered a formality if Micheletti puts his political power behind it. Neither Micheletti nor Zelaya are candidates in the election later this month. Ida weakens further passing over Nicaragua By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
and wire service reports Ida, once a hurricane, has weakened to a tropical depression, said the U.S. Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, late Thursday. Further weakening is expected as the storm moved slowly over northeastern Nicaragua. Forecasters expect the storm to move over Honduras and then emerge over the Caribbean Sea, perhaps strengthening again to a tropical storm. Maximum sustained winds at midnight were about 35 mph, the center said. The government of Nicaragua has discontinued a tropical storm warning. This is the hurricane that developed from a low pressure system that was parked over Costa Rica. The storm came ashore in Nicaragua near Bluefields about mid-morning Thursday. Ida's winds had reached 120 kilometers per hour early on Thursday, making it a category one hurricane — the lowest level on the five-level scale that measures a hurricane's intensity and potential for destruction. Ida was the third hurricane of the season, which ends Nov. 30. |
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Latin American news Please reload page if feed does not appear promptly |
 Ministerio de Gobernación,
Policía
y Seguridad Pública photo Would-be
visitor Alegria poses
for a photo
Tattoos are a
giveaway;
Gang member turned back By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A frequent deportee from the United States ended up at the Peñas Blancas border crossing Thursday, but immigration agents quickly spotted gang tattoo on his body. The man, who has the last name of Alegria is believed to be a member of the Mara Salvatrucha, the Salvadorian-based criminal gang. Immigration officials said he had been deported four times from the United States. His most recent exit from the United States came after a short prison stay. He had spent 11 years in the Los Angeles area. Immigration agents said that the man told them that he was seeking work in Costa Rica. He was returned to Nicaragua after police photographed his many tattoos. Latin American gangs are noted for their many tattoos. In the case of Alegria, he wore a loose shirt with long sleeves in an attempt to hide the markings, immigration officials said. |
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