The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, January 06, 2003

GOOD CLEAN FUN: Dragon gets a bath at Zapote yearend fiestas, which ended yesterday.
photo/AFP

January 06

Summer Classes

Skené Theater: Kids 4-7, drawing, ballet; children 8-12, acting, drawing, story telling classes; teens 13-15, popular dance classes, flamenco, mask-making, story telling, drawing, bonsai, stilts and construction; adults 18 and up, drawing, acting, story telling, poetry, dance workshop, stilt-making and using, puppet making, popular dance; senior citizens, story telling, literary workshop, popular dances, registration through Jan. 10, noon-7 p.m., next to KFC, Los Yoses. Info: 283-9748.

Giratablas Theater: Acting classes, different levels and for different ages, starting Jan. 13, registration during December, Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-noon, 1-7 p.m., across from KFC, Los Yoses. Info: 253-6001, www.teatrogiratablas.com

Summer Workshops: For children, Archeology, natural history, handmade paper, painting, origami, Jan. 6-17, National Museum, Av. 2, Ca. 13-15. Info. 256-4139, 257-1433, www.museocostarica.com

Dancing Monday

Dance with the Caribbean tunes of Marfil and some rock by Marta y Los del Barrio, tonight at Cuartel de la Boca del Monte, Ca. 23-21, Av. Ctrl., 221-0327.

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24 Women Killed in
Domestic Violence in 2002

Three hours before the clock struck twelve, ringing in the New Year, Ana Carolina Chinchilla, 19, was shot to death allegedly by her partner, bringing the list of women killed in domestic violence in 2002 to 24, reported the daily La Nación.

Despite Costa Rica's new legislation and educational campaigns aimed at curbing domestic violence, the number of women killed last year was more than double that of 2001, according to statistics provided by the National Women's Institute. Eleven women were killed in domestic disputes in 2000.

The number of women to call the domestic abuse hotline (800-300-3000) increased dramatically in December, according to the report.

Of the 9,328 hotline calls last month, 698 came between Dec. 27 - 31.

"The number of calls increase in December because there is always less tolerance and less communication during this time of year," said Women's Institute spokeswoman Ana Lucía Boza.

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Police Had Hard Time
Stomaching Zapote

The Ministry of Public Security was forced to set up a makeshift "hospital" in the National Police Academy Saturday afternoon, when 150 police officers patrolling the Zapote yearend fiestas suddenly got sick with stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, reported the daily Al Dia.

The sudden illness, which resulted in three officers taken to the hospital, is being blamed on unclean water that was used to make ice to pack beverages in the police cafeteria set up on the fairgrounds.

Affected officers who were not taken to the Police Academy health clinic were treated the Red Cross on the fairgrounds, south of San José.

"The idea of setting up the health clinic at Police Academy was to not saturate the hospitals," said police spokesman Wálter Zárate.

Some 1,200 officers were assigned to patrol the popular yearend fiestas. Despite the size of the crowds and the amount of visibly drunken partygoers, the police presence kept the crowds under control.

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Traffic Cops Monitor Highways
as Vacationers Return to San José

A total of 325 traffic cops were assigned to monitor highways yesterday, as thousands of Ticos return home from their yearend beach vacations, reported the daily La Nación.

Josephinos' annual exodus from San José resulted in 950 traffic tickets this year between Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, according to transit police statistics. In addition, 101 vehicles were detained by police who pulled over drivers who were drunk, or driving with an expired license, said police spokesman Luis Araya.

As opposed to past years, when transit police staked out the highway in hidden locations in attempts to bust speeders, this year police set up in visible stretches along the roadways to remind drivers of their presence.

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