Archive for April, 2008

15-Year-Old Arrested 50 Times–This Year Alone

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

by Rod Hughes
A 15-year-old San Carlos lad is what understating Costa Ricans would call “a problematic person.” He has been arrested by police 50 times so far this year for assaulting and robbing senior citizens and school kids in Ciudad Quesada north of the capital.
“He’s […]

Inter-Urban Train Project Derailed By Comproller

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

by Rod Hughes
President Oscar Arias’s dream of having an inter-urban mass transit electric train running between Alajuela and Cartago, passing through the capital, has been “derailed,” using the apt word employed by La Nacion reporter Vanessa Loaiza in today’s edition. The project was aimed at reducing downtown traffic and conserving […]

Orphan Fire Hydrants Get Daddy, Finally

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

by Rod Hughes
Those orphan fire hydtrants the have had no legal guardians for the last dozen years, funally got one, the Water and Sewer Institute (A y A), thanks to a vote yesterday in the Legislative Assembly. Delighted firemen blew station sirens in the capital every time one of the […]

Government Fires Head of Production Council

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

by Rod Hughes
The Arias Administration has fired National Production Council (CNP) CEO Guido Vega for having rushed through 21 projects, valued at 21 billion colones (at 475 colones per dollar) at the last minute before this function passed from CNP hands. The Comptroller General’s Office blew the whistle on 18 […]

US Detainment of CR Court Officials Sparks Protest

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

by Rod Hughes
The alleged detainment for questioning in Miami of Costa Rica’s Chief Prosecutor Francisco Dall’Anese and several judges on an official mission to the United States sparked a hot debate in the Supreme Court here yesterday and a protest to Washington about their treatment.
According […]

Toledo Survives Heart Attack

Monday, April 28th, 2008

by Rod Hughes
Former lawmaker Ricardo Toledo was rushed to the hospital Sunday after suffering a heart attack as he played basketball at the Costa Rican Tennis Club He was the Social Christian Unity candidate for president in 2006.
Toledo must remain in the hospital for […]

Two Public High Schools Add German Course

Monday, April 28th, 2008

by Rod Hughes
For a century the standard foreign languages in public high schools have been English and French and in recent years, the emphasis has been on English. But now, two, San Luis Gonzaga of Cartago and at Poas in Alajuela province, have added the language as an elective.
[…]

Osa Opens Brand New Hospital

Monday, April 28th, 2008

by Rod Hughes
For a long time, Osa residents on the southern Pacific peninsula have pleaded with Costa Rican health authorities for a new hospital to replace the antique they had. Now they do, the Tomas Casas Hospital in Ciudad Cores that opened Sunday.
“Now we don’t […]

Battle for Survival Ends in 1-1 Tie

Monday, April 28th, 2008

by Rod Hughes
Sometimes the best soccer matches in the country are not between those perennial powerhouses, Saprissa and Alajuela, but way down in the cellar. And so it proved Sunday when Cartago met Santos on the latter’s home pitch in Guapiles and they struggled to a 1-1 tie.
[…]

Bill’s Passage Breaks Insurance Monopoly

Friday, April 25th, 2008

by Rod Hughes
It’s official: By a 29 to 14 vote, the Legislative Assembly yesterday passed a bill to open up the insurance market which had been a monopoly of the National Insurance Institute (INS) since its creation in 1924. The bill is one of the original 13 pieces of legislation […]