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27 Jan 2006

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, January 27, 2006

PLANET Soccer: This temporary photography exhibit at the Costa Rican Art Museum in Sabana Park, west of San José, spotlights the passion of soccer through images from around the world. Sponsored by the German Embassy, the exhibit was inaugurated last night and runs through Feb. 22. Mónica Quesada/Tico Times

Central Pacific Hotels
To Reduce Energy Use
Six hotels in the cantons of Aguirre, Garabito and Puntarenas, all in the central Pacific region, have been chosen to implement an energy-saving plan, part of a larger effort to reduce energy expenditures throughout Costa Rica's tourism industry.
(Click for more)

Flag Football Qualifier
On This Weekend
Fans of pigskin – and we're not talking chicharrón – take note: the International Flag Football Federation (IFFF) is holding its Costa Rican qualifying tournament for the 7th Annual World Cup of Flag Football this weekend in Santa Ana, southwest of San José.
(Click for more)

Calderón Says He'll Run For
President, Calls Pacheco “Incapable”
Costa Rican ex-President Rafael Angel Calderón Jr., who is linked to a case of alleged corruption, said he will run for President in 2010 and described President Abel Pacheco as “incapable.”
(Click for more)

January 27

Biology Classes Open to the Public
The University of Costa Rica (UCR) School of Biology is offering classes to the public on mutations, ovary and breast cancer, biotechnology, and more. Registration Jan. 27, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m., classes start Feb. 6. Info: 207-4043.

A Concert of Borders
Singers Luis Enrique Mejía, from Nicaragua, and Adrián Goizueta, from Costa Rican and Argentina, are performing the best of their trova tonight, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro. Info: 253-8933.

Traditional Rosary of the Christ Child
With refreshments, Jan. 27, 1:30 p.m., in front of the nativity scene, National Museum.

Harmony Roads
Playing Jan. 28, 8 p.m., at the Bello Horizonte Country Club, Escazú. Info: 228-0824.

Kite Exhibit
Artist Walter Solano displays kites, the materials used to make them. Also kites for sale, Cartago Culture House, east of San José, Jan. 29, 10 a.m., those with their own kites can also fly them at Plaza Mayor, Cartago.

Edited By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff
aroberson@ticotimes.net

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Central Pacific Hotels
To Reduce Energy Use
By Katherine Stanley
Tico Times Staff
kstanley@ticotimes.net

Six hotels in the cantons of Aguirre, Garabito and Puntarenas, all in the central Pacific region, have been chosen to implement an energy-saving plan, part of a larger effort to reduce energy expenditures throughout Costa Rica's tourism industry.

The project, overseen by the Biomass Users Network (BUN-CA), is funded by FundeCooperación, the fund created by the Costa Rica-Holland Bilateral Treaty for Sustainable Development, according to a statement from BUN-CA. Participating hotels include Hotel Parador and Sí Como No in Manuel Antonio, Club de Mar in Jacó Beach, Marriot Los Sueños in Herradura Beach and Hotel Tioga in Puntarenas.

Kattia Quirós, project official for the network, said in the statement that renewable energy firms from Holland participated in planning the project; BUN-CA has conducted workshops in various cantons to inform hotel-sector leaders about energy-saving methods and conducted energy audits to better understand the sector's electricity use.

The resulting plan, Energy-Efficiency in the Tourism Sector (PEEST), got under way at the beginning of 2005 with efforts to provide information about reducing energy consumption to businesses. Participating hotels can earn a Sustainable Tourism Certificate from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT).

Electricity consumption in the central Pacific region, a rapidly growing tourist zone, has shown an annual increase of 15% in recent years, the statement said.

For more information on the program, call 283-8835.

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Flag Football Qualifier
On This Weekend
By Leland Baxter-Neal
Tico Times Staff
lbaxter@ticotimes.net

Fans of pigskin – and we're not talking chicharrón – take note: the International Flag Football Federation (IFFF) is holding its Costa Rican qualifying tournament for the 7th Annual World Cup of Flag Football this weekend in Santa Ana, southwest of San José.

Men and women of any age are invited to form their own teams, or show up and have a team assigned. Men's teams can be made up of four participants for non-contact, or eight participants for some contact (open-hand pass protection). Women's teams are limited to four participants for non-contact.

The top four men's and women's teams from this weekend's tournament, which will be held in Santa Ana's central park, will qualify to advance to the World Cup, to be played in Panama City, in the U.S. state of Florida, March 30 to April 2.

For more information, see the IFFF Web site at www.ifff.net or the Santa Ana-based Flag Football Magazine's Web site at www.flagmag.com.

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Calderón Says He'll Run For President,
Calls Pacheco “Incapable”

Costa Rican ex-President Rafael Angel Calderón Jr., who is linked to a case of alleged corruption, said he will run for President in 2010 and described President Abel Pacheco as “incapable.”

In comments published today in the daily “Al Día,” Calderón said, “All the enemies who united against us achieved something – they took me out of the game in 2006, but they won't be able to take me out of the game in 2010.”

The ex-President (1990-1994) told Radio Monumental yesterday that President Abel Pacecho, who belongs to the same Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) as Calderón, has been “the most incapable President in the history of the country.”

Calderón is linked to the alleged distribution of millions of dollars of commissions from a loan made by Sampo Bank in Finland to the Costa Rican Social Security System (Caja) to buy medical equipment, a case for which the Prosecutor's Office has not presented a formal accusation.

Calderón is free under bail and waiting to be called to trial.

Calderón told the daily La Nación he will come back to win in 2010, and pointed to his victory in 1990.

He said he's traveling around the country to encourage people to vote for the PUSC candidate, Ricardo Toledo, Feb. 5.

Toledo is fourth in the latest polls with 6%, while ex-President Oscar Arias (1986-1990), National Liberation Party (PLN) candidate is favored to win the elections with 45%.

-ACAN.EFE

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