Archive for January 27th, 2010
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
Today, the inauguration of the San José – Caldera takes place, when after almost 40 years of planning and delays, Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, makes the 77 kilometre road official.
However, a group of residents of Santa Ana and Cuidad Colon are not very happy about all of this and this morning took to blocking the section of the road that runs through their community, saying the road is unsafe and never considered the concerns of the area residents.
The road that was first promised in 1978 was to have cost us$158 million dollars in 2001 when the Rodriguez administration announced its intention to complete the road. The good intentions followed delays and was put on the back burner by the Pacheco administration that followed, only to revived by the current administration.
Karla Gonzalez, the former ministra of the MOPT, said that the delays were due to the problems in the expropriation of some 100 lots that run across the highway and the ramps.
The total cost of the completed highway is $230 million dollars.
Today’s inauguration marks the completion of dream of decades. But also a headache for some living near the highway.
The Santa Ana/Cuidad Colon residents are upset mainly at the installation of the toll booths leading to and from those communities from the highway. For the time being, although the toll booths are built, the charge of tolls has been suspended while the government attempts a resolution between the residents and the road concessionaire, Autopistas del Sol.
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
The car-maker took the unprecedented action because the vehicles’ gas pedals can get stuck and cause unwanted acceleration. Toyota will also stop making the cars and trucks Monday.
Toyota Motor Corp. has taken the unprecedented step of halting sales and production of eight models — including its top-selling Camry and Corolla — saying their gas pedals can get stuck and cause runaway acceleration.
Industry experts could not recall any time in recent history when a car-maker had stopped both production and sales of so many models at once. Tuesday’s move follows two recent recalls aimed at preventing Toyota-made vehicles from surging out of control, which has been blamed in at least 19 deaths and scores of injuries over the last decade, more than for all other automakers combined.
Toyota could pay dearly for the problem, industry analysts said.
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
The shipment of almost 200.000 doses arrived last week is part of Costa Rica’s order for 1.6 million doses, which are expected to arrive in the coming months.
The vaccine is being purchased by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and being administered to all Costa Ricans free of charge.
Ministra Ávila said that the vaccine is mandatory.
Those identified in the high risk group – pregnant women, diabetics, patients with asthma, hyper tension, the obese and those working in the health care field – will be the first to be vaccinated.
To show faith in the vaccine, Dr. Ávila got her shot in front of the cameras, saying it is important to be protected as she visits local hospitals, clinics and patients on a regular basis.
Eduardo Doryan, president of the CCSS, said the focus of the vaccination will be in areas where there have been more cases of the AH1N1 and then will move to all other areas.
The vice-ministra de Salud, Ana Morice, explained that the CCSS will be compiling a list from medical records of persons that are required to be vaccinated, especially in the Metropolitan (San José) area.
Morice said those people will be notified by telephone, by the news media and by door-to-door visits by Salud officials where there is an address on file.
“The vaccination is mandatory. It is important that the population go to the clinics. We will first make call to those who are to be vaccinated, then we will go looking for them if they do not come in”, said Morice.
The vice-ministra said that those people on the list who do not want to receive the vaccine, will be obligated to do so. “The idea is not use force, even though we have the right to go with the police to pull people from their homes and take them to a medical centre to be vaccinated”, explained Morice.
The mandatory vaccination is based on government decree 35703-S of the Ley General de Salud published on January 21, 2010 in the official government publication, La Gaceta.
Morice explained that the only exceptions to the vaccination are those allergic to eggs and mercury, because the effects of the dose against AH1N1 may be worse. Also, those who have been infected will no be vaccinated as the possibility of re-infection is only 5%.
The vaccine is not being sold in pharmacies and is only available at CCSS hospitals and clinics known as Ebais and applied by Salud officials.
Dr. Ávila said that the vaccine may have some side effects like reddening and swelling of the area where the vaccine is applied, but will disappear within 24 hours.
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
The Supreme Court cleared six high-ranking military officers on Tuesday of charges of abuse of power in last summer’s coup. The six, including the armed forces chief of staff, Gen. Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, were accused of illegally expelling President Manuel Zelaya from the country. A court had ordered the military to detain Mr. Zelaya, and the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the commanders had not acted with malice and that they had Mr. Zelaya flown to Costa Rica to avoid violence. Mr. Zelaya’s term ends Wednesday, when he is expected to leave Honduras for the Dominican Republic.
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
Switzerland will play Costa Rica as part of its final preparations for the World Cup finals in South Africa.
Costa Rica has been picked for the June 1 match because Switzerland plays its CONCACAF regional rival Honduras in a Group H meeting on June 25.
The friendly will be played at Sion, close to Switzerland’s Alpine training camp at Crans-Montana.
It has yet to choose an opponent for its final warmup match scheduled for June 5.
Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side opens its World Cup program June 16 against top-seeded Spain, then faces Chile five days later.
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
Spring break is anticipated by college students all winter. It indicates the end of winter and the opportunity to put the books down and not study for a while. Students look forward to a change of scenery and day dream about places like Cancun and some of the beaches in Florida or the Carolinas. An adventure spring break in Costa Rica provides all the benefits of the other travel destinations without the crowds that are part of these other places.
While an adventure spring break in Costa Rica may sound a bit extravagant, the truth is this trip can actually be surprisingly affordable. There are many things that await the college kid in search of a break. This tropical paradise sits in the Caribbean on the Pacific Ocean.
This secret has been well guarded in recent times and probably can’t be kept forever, so you are fortunate to be able to enjoy this place while still is a secret. The fact that Costa Rica is not as built up and promoted as other destinations means that the hotels and other accommodations are still affordable. Just because the hotels are cheap does not mean that the beaches are lousy. You will be surprised to find just the opposite the first moment you see the beach for yourself.
An Adventure spring break in Costa Rica would not be worthy of any college student if there was not an excellent nightlife complete with an assortment of clubs. Since this pace is still a bit of a secret the clubs are not any more crowded then the beaches. Actually the feeling here is intimate and yet at this time of the year there is certainly no shortage of attractive people of the opposite sex.
This place is just popular enough with the college kids to provide some great opportunities to meet students from other schools all over the country, without being so busy that you feel like a can of sardines. It is the scene here that has attracted the college crowd but the idea that this place is expensive that has kept it from being overrun with spring breakers.
Located between Central America and Nicaragua, Costa Rica offers a blend of tranquil beaches and tropical rain forests. Combine this varied terrain with the very comfortable climate and you have a world class travel destination. The elements that make up Costa Rica provide for an excellent opportunity to partake of an adventure unlike any other.
The rainforests provide an excellent opportunity to experience the outdoors like you never could elsewhere. The hiking here always promises to be an exciting adventure, with the opportunity to climb the side of a volcano, or come across wildlife that is indigenous to the Costa Rica rainforest. If hiking among the wild animals of Central America seems like a little more adventure then you were bargaining for then you can find plenty to do on the beaches.
Another way to partake of an adventure spring break in Costa Rica is to explore a river in a kayak. Whichever way you decide to spend your time here, you will go away glad that it is still a well kept secret. Your impulse will be to tell everyone about it, but then it wouldn’t be a secret.
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
A court hearing in Costa Rica affected a Springfield woman who took her daughter to that country last February. Trina Atwell left her fiance Roy Koyama behind in Springfield claiming he was abusive.
Monday in a judge’s chambers both attended a hearing to determine whether Atwell and her daughter Emily may remain in Costa Rica.
Atwell tells KSPR NEWS she and her attorney met Koyama and his attorney at 9 am. After two witnesses testified on her behalf, she says the attorneys presented their documents to the judge. She says some of his docUments were not in order. The hearing was suspended until February 4-th. The judge should make a ruling 3-5 days after that.
Atwell says Koyama requested to see Emily before he left. He was granted his request to see her at the airport before he leaves, although he may not take any pictures with her.
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