PANI Issues Report Amid Chaos at Dundee Ranch
More than a dozen youths at Dundee Ranch Academy in the Pacific-slope town of Orotina reportedly escaped yesterday, during a visit to the controversial U.S.-run behavior-modification facility by officials from the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ), and the Ministries of Health, Education, the Child Welfare Agency (PANI) and the Alcohol and Drug Institute.
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Trial Date Set in Martin Murder
Two years after the brutal stabbing death of University of Kansas student Shannon Martin in the southern Pacific port town of Golfito, the case will finally go to trial June 12 and 13.
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Government Negotiations With ICE And Teacher Unions Continue
President Abel Pacheco and his Cabinet gave an update yesterday on recent negotiations with striking employees of the Costa Rican Electricity and Telecom Institute (ICE), and urged the employees to go back to working for the good of the country. He promised to continue working day and night until permanent and just solutions that benefit all parties involved are found.
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May 21

Good Will Concert Tour
The Chamber Choir of Haverford University and Bryn Mawr Colleges of Pennsylvania, starting today at 10 a.m., at Carlos María Ulloa Old Age Home and at 7 p.m., they will perform at Seminario Central in Paso Ancho. Tomorrow, at 6 p.m. at Santa Elena Church, Monteverde. On Sat., May 24, they will play at 7 p.m., in La Fortuna Church, San Carlos and on Sun., May 25 at 7 p.m., the choir will hold a Gala Concert at Eugene O’Neill Theater, C.R.-North American Cultural Center, Barrio Dent. Info: 207-7554, 207-7571.

Aun Veo Sus Rostros
Photos of Polish Jews before WWII, sponsored by the Polish Embassy, at the National Gallery, Children’s Museum, Ca. 4, Av. 9. The exhibit is open through May 30. Info: 234-7411.

Cultural Workshops at University
Register today in one of the following classes offered by Universidad Nacional, Heredia for a low price. Courses include, aerobics, capoeira and other martial arts, painting, drawing, soccer, guitar, singing, performing arts, speed reading, and more, registration is open through Fri., May 23, 8-11:30 a.m., 1-4 p.m., at the Vice Rectory, Promoción Estudiantil Dept., Universidad Nacional, Heredia, 277-3202.

PANI Issues Report Amid Chaos at Dundee Ranch
By Tim Rogers
trogers@ticotimes.net

More than a dozen youths at Dundee Ranch Academy in the Pacific-slope town of Orotina reportedly escaped yesterday, during a visit to the controversial U.S.-run behavior-modification facility by officials from the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ), and the Ministries of Health, Education, the Child Welfare Agency (PANI) and the Alcohol and Drug Institute.

Police and staff were reportedly still searching for the runaways yesterday afternoon. Dundee Ranch declined comment.

Located on the remote grounds of a former hotel by the same name, Dundee is a year-and-a-half-old program for troubled teens, mostly from the U.S. (TT, Oct. 25, 2002).

Critics of the program argue that the academy's "tough-love" tactics -- including the use of physical restraint and sentencing disobedient teens to solitary confinement -- border on inhumane treatment and make the academy more like a boot camp than a boarding school. Academy owner Narvin Lichfield, however, defends his program as a last resort for teens with serious behavior or drug problems (TT, Jan. 17; March 14).

After four months of investigating, the PANI yesterday issued its long-awaited report on Dundee Ranch, instructing the facility that it has 30 days to implement 15 in the way it operates.

The PANI also filed a criminal complaint against Dundee Ranch with the Prosecutor's Office, requesting a judicial investigation of the academy. If the needed changes are not implemented in a month's time, the academy could be issued a judicial order to close, according to PANI's acting director, Ileana Ballard.

Don't miss Friday's TT print edition for complete story.

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Government Negotiations With
ICE And Teacher Unions Continue
By Fabián Borges
Tico Times Staff

PACHECO: Time to negotiate AFP/TT

President Abel Pacheco and his Cabinet gave an update yesterday on recent negotiations with striking employees of the Costa Rican Electricity and Telecom Institute (ICE), and urged the employees to go back to working for the good of the country. He promised to continue working day and night until permanent and just solutions that benefit all parties involved are found.

Education Minister Astrid Fischel, meanwhile, said her ministry is continuing to negotiate with teachers and urged union leaders not to declare a strike today (TT Daily Page, May 19).

"The government has lived up to its agreements with the teachers," Fischel explained. "On May 6, we promised to fix the computer glitches that have left hundreds of teachers without salaries. President Pacheco and I said we would solve 99% of the problems by the May 13 payday, we kept our promise (TT May 2, 9, 16).

"We also promised the salaries of teachers hired after April 28 would be paid during the second payday of the month," she added. "The computer system has been repaired and we are certain they will receive their salaries on time."

A growing number of educators insist the payment problems still have not been worked out, however.

On Monday, Fischel said, the ministry met with union leaders and the Comptroller General to discuss ways to resolve the outstanding salaries it owes teachers, plus interest. Steps are also being taken to make sure Rural School Boards receive funds to pay utilities and school lunches by the end of this month, she promised.

"We are urging teachers all over the country not to go on strike," she said. "A strike is not justified; it wouldn't be fair to the children. We are working hard on solutions to these problems."

Finance Minister Jorge Walter Bolaños, meanwhile, was optimistic a solution to the five-day-long ICE strike would be reached before week's end. As it stands now, the government and ICE unions agree on eight of the nine items being discussed, he said.

ICE workers have been on strike since Friday as a result of a May 12 decision by the Central Bank to veto ICE's plans to sell $97 million in bonds to finance several investment projects over the next three years (TT, May 16).

Since the strike began, ICE offices have been closed, and all installations and repair work has been frozen.

On Monday, ICE finally presented the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP) with the information it had requested to conduct a study of the rates the institution charges for its services. Within the next five weeks, ARESEP is expected to authorize some form of rate increase, he said.

"As for the controversial bonds, we've put a new proposal on the table that should please everyone," Bolaños said. "It has been presented to ICE management and is being studied by the Central Bank."

Under this plan, he explained, the bonds would be issued and sold in foreign markets through the Central American Economic Integration Bank (BCIE). Selling the bonds abroad would eliminate the possibility of an increase in local interest rates - the Central Bank's reason for opposing the bonds - and would allow ICE to get the money it needs at a lower cost by taking advantage of the low international interest rates currently available.

"We are dialoguing with everyone and offering solutions," Pacheco stressed. "We believe that common sense will prevail.

"Costa Ricans have witnessed our good will, out patience and our desire to solve everyone's problems," he said.

Don't miss Friday's TT print edition for full coverage.

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