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Missing student: David Alexander Gimelfarb, 28, a U.S. graduate student, is missing in Costa Rica's Rincon de la Vieja National Park since Tuesday, Aug.11. Anyone with information regarding David's disappearance is urged to contact the Liberia Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) at tel. 2690-0218 or the Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin at 2665-3212. |
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Velvet sounds: Andrea Echeverri of the Colombian rock band Aterciopelados performed in front of thousands of students at the University of Costa Rica sports complex in Sabanilla this weekend. The performance was part of an event organized by the University's Federation of Students to pressure the government to devote more funds to the nation's public universities. |
Ronald Reyes | Tico Times |
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| U.S. graduate student missing in Costa Rica |
| National park personnel and Costa Rican Red Cross volunteers continued searching on Sunday for David Alexander Gimelfarb, 28, a missing Chicago doctoral student who was last seen on Aug. 11 entering Rincón de la Vieja National Park in the northwestern province of Guanacaste. |
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Change in new Costa Rica transit law
requires drivers to travel with emergency kit |
Forty days before a new law goes into effect that would require every driver to travel with a first aid kit, the transport ministry is launching an effort to modify the requirement. |
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| Monthly fire hydrant fee to be raised for new units |
With more than half the country's fire hydrants in need of repairs or upgrades, the agency that regulates public services in Costa Rica has proposed imposing a higher fee on residents to finance the improvements. |
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| Costa Rica ranchers seek to raise tax on beef imports |
Costa Rican livestock farmers formally requested an increase on taxes on imported beef last week, in a move perceived by many as an effort to fend off an anticipated large increase in South American beef imports. Over the past few months, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), declared cattle in the “southern cone” of South America to be free of foot-and-mouth disease. The Costa Rican Livestock Promotion Corporation (CORFORGA) anticipates that the countries in the southern cone of South America - Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Chile – will soon seek to import large amounts of beef into Costa Rica. Costa Rica prohibits the importation of beef from countries where foot-and-mouth disease is present. |
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Behind the Scenes at
the World Surfing Games |
With some 36 countries competing in the water at the 2009 World Surfing Games Aug. 1-8 in the Central Pacific's Playa Hermosa, there was a lot of action behind the scenes. |
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| U.S. graduate student missing in Costa Rica |
By Mike McDonald
Tico Times Staff | mmcdonald@ticotimes.net |
National park personnel and Costa Rican Red Cross volunteers continued searching on Sunday for David Alexander Gimelfarb, 28, a missing Chicago doctoral student who was last seen on Aug. 11 entering Rincón de la Vieja National Park in the northwestern province of Guanacaste.
Gimelfarb's parents, Ludmilla and Roma Gimelfarb, flew to Costa Rica last Thursday and are helping local officials with the search.
The dense forest canopy has made air searches difficult, but officials said that several teams are also combing the mountainous area on horseback and foot. Searchers from the San José Red Cross joined Liberia Red Cross teams on Saturday to expand the search area.
As of Sunday afternoon, no signs of Gimelfarb had been reported, but officials said they will continue looking.
Gimelfarb is a post-graduate student in psychology at the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Illinois. He works with his mother at the Kraft Foods Research and Development Center in Glenview, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, said friend and co-worker Benjamin Dias.
Dias said that two co-workers from the research center accompanied Gimelfarb's mother to Costa Rica last week and are assisting in the search and passing out flyers to local villagers.
Gimelfarb arrived in Costa Rica about one week ago to go hiking and was staying at the Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin in Guanacaste, according to a communiqué written by the 28-year-old's mother.
After nearly a week of searching, park rangers have informed Gimelfarb's parents that infrared scanning may be the only way to locate him.
Gimelfarb has blonde hair, light brown eyes and is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, according to a police report filed by his father.
Anyone with information regarding Gimelfarb's disappearance is urged to contact the Liberia Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) at tel. 2690-0218 or the Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin at 2665-3212. |
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Change in new Costa Rica transit law
requires drivers to travel with emergency kit |
By Chrissie Long
Tico Times Staff | clong@ticotimes.net |
Forty days before a new law goes into effect that would require every driver to travel with a first aid kit, the transport ministry is launching an effort to modify the requirement.
Given the difficulty in enforcing the law and the potential for medicine within the kit to go bad, officials are pushing legislators to make changes before the law takes effect on September 23.
“What we want from the new Transit Law is to protect Costa Ricans,” Transport Minister Karla González told the daily La Nación. Fining people who don't comply “is irrational,” she said, explaining that medicine left for long periods of time in a car could pose a risk for people's health.
“We would be causing injury to people,” she said.
The Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT) leapt into action after a study conducted by the Costa Rican Pharmaceutical School was brought to their attention by the daily newspaper La Nación. The study revealed the type of medicine used in a first aid kit should be kept at temperatures less than 86 degrees Fahrenheit, but internal car temperatures within Costa Rica can reach 122 degrees, causing deterioration of quality and effectiveness.
The law, which was part of a package of transportation reforms, would allow transit police to issue ¢80,000 ($137) tickets if drivers do not have a first aid kit in their possession.
“The intentions of health officials and legislators are good,” said Carlos Rivas, a lawyer with MOPT. “But medications within the kit risk spoiling if they are kept in certain climates or beyond their expiration dates.”
If the law does go into effect and includes the requirement to carry a first aid kit; drivers can purchase kits at the Red Cross, 100 meters west of Casa Presidencial for 9,800 colones ($17). They are also permitted to assemble their own, provided it has basic medical supplies, Rivas said. |
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| Monthly fire hydrant fee to be raised for new units |
By Daniel Shea
Tico Times Staff | editorial@ticotimes.net |
With more than half the country's fire hydrants in need of repairs or upgrades, the agency that regulates public services in Costa Rica has proposed imposing a higher fee on residents to finance the improvements.
In a statement to the press Friday, the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP) announced its plan to raise the tax charged to residents. As the hydrants fall under the umbrella of public services, ARESEP is given the authority over the maintenance of the hydrants as well as the power to set fees.
A meeting to discuss the proposal will take place today.
Residents served by the Public Services Company of Heredia will see a 5.05 percent increase in the fee, while customers of the Costa Rican Water and Sewer Institute (AyA), will be charged an additional 4.56 percent. If approved, as expected, residents will see a few cents added to their water bill each month.
According to Costa Rican firefighters, there are only 6,126 operating fire hydrants in Costa Rica. The firefighters say the country needs almost double that number, and plan to put in place more than 12,000 new hydrants – of which 1,666, located near hospitals, industrial centers, or other heavily trafficked areas – are a top priority.
According to ARESEP, the increased fees will cover the purchase and installation of the new equipment. |
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Costa Rica ranchers seek
to raise tax on beef imports |
By Adam Williams
Tico Times Staff | awilliams@ticotimes.net |
Costa Rican livestock farmers formally requested an increase on taxes on imported beef last week, in a move perceived by many as an effort to fend off an anticipated large increase in South American beef imports. Over the past few months, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), declared cattle in the “southern cone” of South America to be free of foot-and-mouth disease. The Costa Rican Livestock Promotion Corporation (CORFORGA) anticipates that the countries in the southern cone of South America - Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Chile – will soon seek to import large amounts of beef into Costa Rica. Costa Rica prohibits the importation of beef from countries where foot-and-mouth disease is present.
In anticipation of the increase in beef imports, the Livestock Promotion CORFORGA joined with Legislator Ronald Solís of the Citizen Action Party (PAC) to propose a tax increase on imported beef. The proposal, which was sent to the Foreign Trade Ministry (COMEX), asks that the tax, which is currently at 15 percent, be raised to 45 percent.
Currently, only Uruguay has a contract with CORFORGA to import beef to Costa Rica. According to CORFORGA, Costa Rica receives an estimated 20,000 kilos of beef from Uruguay each year. In a statement last week by Erick Quirós, the executive director of Corfoga, Argentina, Brazil and Chile have yet to submit requests to import beef. However, Quirós said that given the low cost of beef in these countries, it is “very possible” that Argentina, Brazil and Chile will soon look to import beef to Costa Rica.
According to CORFORGA, beef is sold for $1.20/kilo in Argentina, $1.50/kilo in Uruguay, $1.50/kilo in Chile. In Costa Rica, beef sold for $2.40/kilo in July.
In order for the tax to pass, it must be approved by COMEX, the Economic Ministry and the Agriculture and Livestock Ministry. From there it will go to a Central American board for review and, if accepted, will go to World Trade Organization (WTO) for final approval. |
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Behind the Scenes at the World Surfing Games |
With some 36 countries competing in the water at the 2009 World Surfing Games Aug. 1-8 in the Central Pacific's Playa Hermosa, there was a lot of action behind the scenes.
The Costa Rican national team had its own bamboo resting area among a line of team spots, where they regrouped and constantly fueled up on peanuts and fruit.
Here, Gilbert Brown, 26, from the southern Caribbean beach town of Puerto Viejo, welcomed his mother, Magdalena López, for the first week of the competition. She rarely left his side. Luis Vindas, 22, from Jacó, just north of Hermosa, barely spoke; he just surfed. In the back corner, Jacó's Jason Torres, 20, napped between his buddies' heats.
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| Gilbert Brown |
Ronald Reyes | Tico Times |
Physical therapist Julio Granados worked on the surfers between heats. Torres sported flesh-colored bandages on his shoulder, while Lisbeth Vindas, 27, had one on her knee. Brown sat in a chair with electrodes attached to his back and shoulder as Granados turned up the power on a small device. Later that day, Brown got the biggest wave score of the day, a 9.23. He finished the event ranked 21st.
The Red Cross estimated that more than 10,000 people passed through Hermosa the first Saturday of the games, but no one but Tico surfer Diego Naranjo, 28, noticed three-time world champion Tom Curren as he strolled by with his surfboard.
Throughout the games, the Tico team met each night at their hotel to discuss the day's heats and strategize for the next day. The meetings were led by José Ureña, president of the Surf Federation of Costa Rica and head of the team's technical body. Team members Naranjo, Brown and Lisbeth Vindas also took a strong role.
“(We) have a lot of experience, so we try to lead the team meetings,” said Naranjo, who finished 33rd in the games' longboard category. “We comment on the things we do during the day and say how the heats are going to go tomorrow. Like if they have a guy with high levels in their heats, we point out that Jason and Gilbert have already beaten them, and if they concentrate, they can, too.”
Vindas finished 15th among the women, down a position from last year's games in Portugal, but she was not discouraged.
“It was a great experience working with the team José put together – Laura (Moreira), the sports psychologist, Julio, the physical therapist, and Donald Vega, the strength and lifestyle coach. We improved, and I felt like a professional athlete,” she said.
Tico Alex “Coki” Valverde served as an International Surfing Association judge for the games. Sixteen judges worked on rotation at the event, judging two heats and then taking a break.
“We're doing good as a team – the guys surfing and me in the (judging) podium,” Valverde said.
Over in the U.S. team room, The Tico Times spoke with Cory Lopez, 32, the games' silver medalist and one of the most famous surfers at the event.
“My brother has a house in Los Sueños in Herradura, so I've been here many times,” Lopez said. “I'm happy to be here and represent for America.”
Another big star, Mick Campbell, 35, the 1998 World Surfing Games gold medalist, surfed for Australia in Hermosa, finishing 15th.
“It's my first time in Costa Rica, but what a beautiful place. There are so many different faces – hot, windy, rainy. The waves are smooth, then choppy the next minute. It's a really moody place,” Campbell told The Tico Times during a two-and-a-half-hour power outage Aug. 6.
The Peruvian team rented a house behind the team rooms for the games. Here, The Tico Times talked to Sofía Mulánovich, 26, the 2004 world women's champion on the WCT and fifth among the women in Hermosa.
“I'm having fun,” Mulánovich said. “I've been here before on a boat for a ‘surfari,' but this is my first time on the beach in Hermosa. I really like it. There are good waves, good people.
“The World Games are about being with your team and doing good for your country. My country is where I learned to surf and live, and for me it's the best country in the world.”
Back with the Tico team, 16-year-old Carlos Muñoz, upon learning he finished 15th in the world, tied with Campbell, said, “I'm sad, but happy. In the next World Surfing Games, I'm going to do better.”
And Torres, who finished the games ranked seventh in the world – down two points from last year's performance in Portugal – jumped in the Terraza del Pacífico hotel swimming pool with his surfboard to avoid reporters.
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