October 4, 2007

Mud Bath: Heavy rains in the eastern province of Cartago yesterday turned several streets into rivers of mud and left at least one driver and her car completely splattered in it.

Keeping an Eye on the Election: Paul Durand (left) is heading up a mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) here to observe the referendum on the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) Sunday. Yesterday, he talked to the press alongside Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE) president Luis Antonio Sobrado.

Mónica Quesada | Tico Times

Inflation Stays Constant

Security Minister Lashes Out Against TV Report

Poll Shows Majority of Costa Ricans Against CAFTA

For the first time, a poll is showing a majority of Costa Ricans opposing the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA), according to the daily La Nacion.

The paper yesterday reported that 55% of the 1,202 Costa Ricans polled will say no to CAFTA during Sunday's referendum, while 43% will vote yes and 2% are undecided.

Support for CAFTA has eroded during the past few weeks, hurt by a scandal surrounding former Second Vice-President Kevin Casas and National Liberation Party legislator Fernando Sánchez. Both men sent an e-mail to President Oscar Arias encouraging a campaign of fear to gain support for the trade agreement (TT, Sept. 14).

Casas resigned last week, and Sánchez stepped down from his posts on legislative commissions although he continues serving in the Legislative Assembly.  

The poll, conducted by the agency Unimer for La Nación, also found that 27% of those interviewed made their decision to vote no this past month. Moreover, 7% said the memorandum directly affected their decision.

Last week's polls showed a virtual tie; this is the first time in the more than two years of campaigning that the “no” vote has taken the lead.

The poll has a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points and was conducted between Sept. 27 and Oct. 2 throughout the country with people 18 years and older.

-Tico Times

Floods Wash Out Cartago

Torrential rains washed over the eastern province of Cartago yesterday, wiping out four bridges and flooding 130 houses, according to a statement from the National Emergency Commission (CNE).

Water rushing down from a mountainous area of Llano Grande de Cartago caused Reventado River to overflow and damage everything in its path.

The CNE opened a shelter in Quircot for six families whose homes were severely damaged. Emergency commissions were also activated in the Cartago areas of Guarco and Llano Grande, and teams of geologists and engineers were dispatched to assess damage to bridges in La Lima, Quircot, Llano Grande and Taras.

In Quircot, 90 houses flooded, while 35 flooded in Lima and five flooded in Llano Grande.

The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) predicts heavy rain will continue to fall over the Central Valley. The commission could possibly evacuate more residents as a preventive measure, the statement said.

-Tico Times

Lottery to Be Held for U.S. Visas

Costa Ricans who want to live in the United States can try their luck in a lottery for residency visas held by the U.S. State Department.

Inscription for the lottery opened yesterday at 1 p.m. at www.dvlottery.state.gov. This Web site is the only way to enter the lottery or get information about visa requirements; the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Costa Rica are not involved in the lottery process.

Each person interested should submit only one request; submitting more could result in automatic disqualification, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy.

Through this lottery, about 50,000 U.S. residency visas are granted yearly to people from countries around the world that have small amounts of migration to the United States, of which Costa Rica is one.

Online registration is free and open until 11 a.m. on Dec. 2, 2007. The U.S. State Department will notify the winners from May to July 2008.

In 2007, about 82,000 people from 175 countries won visas through this lottery; some 5.5 million entered.

-Tico Times

Inflation Stays Constant

Inflation last month clocked in at 0.63%, slightly lower than the previous month, but placing accrued inflation so far this year at 7.04% -- identical to inflation at this point last year, when inflation for the year reached 9.43%.

Leading the inflation growth were health-care costs, restaurant prices and transportation, the cost of which has risen 9.48% so far this year, according to the National Statistics and Census Institute.

Though inflation is on course so far to tie with last year's numbers, inflation in the past 12-month period is down 1.81%.

-Tico Times

Security Minister Lashes Out Against TV Report

By Blake Schmidt
Tico Times Staff | bschmidt@ticotimes.net

Public Security Minister Fernando Berrocal called an impromptu press conference yesterday afternoon to give a public slap on the hand to recent media reports that used unidentified police as their main sources and didn't include Berrocal's response.

Berrocal, a former director for the Costa Rican TV news station Repretel, denied what two unidentified police said in a Channel 7 TV news report, namely that Costa Rican police have been denied resources and are fed unsatisfactory food.

He whipped out a 2006 budget summary that included purchases of 21,000 uniforms and more than 20,000 boots, and he listed off food items the ministry has bought so far this year.

“Rice, beans... chicken, eggs, meat, sausage, etc. So that we're clear about the varied diets police have in different delegations,” he said.

He added that police have acquired new vehicles for what will be a “24-hour rapid response” station in Pavas, west of San José, which will be manned with some 50 patrol vehicles and 140 motorcycles. He added that 1,300 new police officers were added to this year's budget.

The two officers who spoke with Channel 7 remain unnamed and face internal investigations in the ministry for unrelated incidents, Berrocal said. Both of them were suspended with pay after the incident.

Grow Your Own Bug Repellent with Citronella

Common Name: Citronella grass

Spanish Name: Citronela

Latin Name: Cymbopogon nardus and C. winterianus

Family: Poaceae

Geo-distribution: Originating in southern Asia, citronella is a fragrant grass that has adapted to most tropical countries around the world. It grows well in the coastal and mid-range elevations of Costa Rica.

Botanical Description: Both citronella and lemon grass are members of the Poaceae family and are similar in appearance. However, citronella has a stronger aromatic scent, which most of us are familiar with as citronella oil. Citronella grows much taller (two meters) than lemon grass, and the stems are red at the base of the plant. These plants produce long, flowering stems, which produce seeds annually.

Uses: Citronella oil is obtained from different Cymbopogon species. It is also present in several other plants, including geraniums and basil. The principal compounds of citronella oil are geraniol and citronellol, which are used in perfumes, household disinfectants and soaps, as well as insect repellents. Taiwan, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Brazil, China, Sri Lanka, India, Argentina, Ecuador, Madagascar, Mexico and the West Indies are leading producers of citronella oil.

Preparation:

Household cleaner and disinfectant. Boil several chopped stems of citronella and three lemon rinds in two liters of water. Cool, strain and use for kitchen cleanup and general household cleaning.

Insect repellent. Finely chop one stem of citronella and one small cactus pad (known as tuna in Spanish). Add to one liter of alcohol in a clean glass jar with a tight cap. Shake the ingredients once a day for three days. Strain the liquid into a new container and discard the pulp. Apply generously and frequently to the skin to repel insects.

Citronella candles. Add several finely chopped citronella stems to one liter of melted candle wax. Simmer for several minutes to extract the citronella oil from the stem. Pour the melted wax into your favorite candle molds and discard the chopped citronella stems.

Notes: Citronella plants are sold in many nurseries across the country, or you may come across citronella growing in your neighborhood. In this case, carefully dig away several of the stems and their roots, which grow from the base of the mother plant. Be sure to trim off the leaves, while leaving the main stem intact.

You can plant these stems in plastic nursery bags full of good, fertile soil, leaving them in the shade for several weeks until they begin to form new growth. After several months, they can be transplanted to permanent sites around the house or garden. Citronella does well in full sun and partial shade.

Citronella plants can also be grown in large pots around the home or apartment to help repel mosquitoes. These hardy plants have no significant pest or disease problems and require no special attention.

For more information on tropical gardening, visit www.thenewdawncenter.info or e-mail thenewdawncenter@yahoo.com. We have books and seeds to share with you.