President Oscar Arias has been advised not to push forth with plans to reconstruct an oil refinery on the country's Caribbean coast, despite numbers that suggest the project would greatly benefit Costa Rica.

The multi-million dollar renovation and expansion, expected to generate between 1,000 and 1,500 jobs and save the country between $200 and $300 million in oil costs each year, is proposed as a joint partnership between the Costa Rican Oil Refinery (RECOPE) and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

But the government's own fiscal watchdog, the Comptroller General's Office, said the agreement is not viable because it challenges RECOPE's legal monopoly in oil refining and distribution, which can only be altered by a change in legislation.

Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias, President Arias' brother, expressed disappointment last week that the country might “squander an investment like this.”

He said he plans on appealing to the Comptroller General's Office in the hope that it will endorse the contract. He also said the proposed project would greatly benefit the country and the region of Limón.

According to Arias, the current refinery is old and operating with obsolete equipment, making it impossible to process more than 20,000 or 25,000 barrels per day. He's hoping that with the renovation and expansion, that plant could process 60,000 barrels each day.

The proposed joint venture is only one of the projects resulting from Costa Rica's newly established diplomatic relationship with China. Another is the construction of a national stadium, which is being built in La Sabana Park, on San José's western edge, with an $83 million donation from China.

The Costa Rican government plans on collecting taxes from 388 businesses that pollute rivers with sewage water this year and will use the money to improve water treatment systems throughout the country.

The tax will vary depending on the level of pollution and is different for businesses and homes, according to the daily La Nación newspaper.

The Costa Rican government hopes to collect roughly $8 million at the end of this year with the tax, much of which will be used to construct sewage and waste water treatment systems.

Close to 60 percent of the money made will go to improving waste water systems, roughly 20 percent will go toward monitoring existing points of pollution, around 15 percent will go the promotion of environmentally-friendly systems and 5 percent will go to environmental education.

According to José Miguel Zeledón, the director of the water department of the Environment, Energy and Telecommunications Ministry, this plan will benefit towns that don't have a suitable system for their liquid waste.

If you've ever visited Manuel Antonio National Park on the central Pacific coast, then you'll understand the premise of “El Mono Paparazzi,” or “The Rainforest Paparazzi,” a new bilingual children's book by author and journalist Yazmín Ross.

The story, aimed at ages 3 and up, tells the tale of a monkey named Tití who finds a camera in the jungle and proceeds to bring chaos to the community by snapping unflattering photos of his friends and neighboring animals. It was inspired in part by Ross' encounters with monkeys and tourists at Manuel Antonio, the author said.

“At the end, tranquility returns to the jungle,” said Ross, who was born in Mexico but has lived in Costa Rica for 18 years. “The idea is to show children how important it is for the animals to be at peace.”

The book, which includes an English translation by Jeana Paul-Ureña and beautiful illustrations by Ruth Angulo, additionally aims to promote interest in biology and the environment. An accompanying CD includes songs in English and Spanish, making the package an interactive, bilingual learning tool for children.

Third in a series from publisher Pachanga Kids, the book is distributed by Librería Internacional and is available in most supermarkets and Café Britt outlets for ¢6,900 (about $13). Published in January, “El Mono Paparazzi” follows the success of “El Mar Azucarado,” or “Sea Sweet Sea,” published in January 2006 (TT, Feb. 24, 2006) and 2008's “El Coyote y la Luciérnaga,” or “The Coyote and the Firefly, (TT, Feb. 8, 2008).

Ross said another book is in the works, and a concert featuring the songs of “El Mono Paparazzi” is planned for May.

For more information, call Pachanga Kids at 2280-2521, e-mail info@pachangakids.com or visit www.pachangakids.com.

Marian Baker School (MBS), one of Costa Rica's leading English-speaking college preparatory schools, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month with a variety of activities.

The school, a complex of spacious red brick buildings nestled amid the gentle hills of San Ramón de Tres Ríos, east of San José, will begin its weeklong celebration with opening ceremonies April 24. Festivities will include a Family Day, MBS Pride Day, Career Day given by alumni, bake sales and volleyball competitions.

MBS opened its doors in 1984 as a privately owned K-12 school, founded by the late Robert and Marian Baker, who moved to Costa Rica from the U.S. state of Kansas in the early 1960s. After a few earlier locations, the school moved to its present facility – originally part of the Bakers' dairy farm – in 1987. A modern library, science complex, art rooms and elementary building were added in 2001. In addition to 32 classrooms, MBS grounds include a gymnasium, tennis court, soccer field, cafeteria and complete playgrounds. Special programs include English as a second language, student support services, art, drama and music. Except for Spanish and Costa Rican social studies, all subjects are taught in English.

MBS, which has grown from 50 to more than 200 students, attracts both Tico and international students and continues to stand firmly on the tenets on which it was founded, says MBS Business Manager Bonnie Heigold, who shares ownership of the school with General Director Linda Niehaus.

“We are committed to providing a nurturing community that fosters moral integrity and inspires a lifelong and passionate love of learning,” Heigold says.

Some 300 students hold diplomas from MBS, according to Heigold. Almost all graduates go on to college, and many have won full or partial scholarships to prestigious universities, such as Harvard and Princeton in the United States.

Niehaus says the school is proud of its history, its graduates and its current students.

“We look back with pride, and we look to the future with great anticipation and excitement,” Niehaus says. “We have plans on the drawing board for new construction.”

Niehaus says MBS encourages diversity in the student body, believing it creates a learning environment that “stimulates intellectual curiosity and global awareness.”

For more information about the school, call 2273-0024 or visit www.mbs.ed.cr.