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UNLIKELY Romance: Sophie ( Sheila McCann Morrison) and Francois (Theodore Hope) are roommates desperately in pursuit of love in the Little Theatre Group's production of “Strawberries in January,” which opened Friday at the Blanche Brown Theater in the western suburb of Escazú. The play runs through March 11; for tickets or more information, call 355-1623 or visit www.littletheatregroup.org. |
| Chelcey Adami | Tico Times |
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| 50,000 Expected to March Against CAFTA Today |
Leaders of the National Coordinator of the Fight Against the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) yesterday announced they expect no fewer than 50,000 people to take to the streets of San José today to march against CAFTA, a trade pact they say will strip Costa Rica of jobs and its public institutions.
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| Government Promises More
Investment In Guanacaste |
Local and national leaders met for five hours Friday in Liberia, the capital of the northwestern Guancaste province, to discuss the province's problems, and they left with promises to invest in its improvement, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial. |
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| Cultural Center Opens New Branch in Esparza |
The Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center Friday inaugurated its new branch in the Pacific-slope town of Esparza, and area residents can sign up for English classes there beginning March 1, according to a statement from the center.
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| February 26 |
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Puriscal Fiestas
Bullfights, concerts, carnival, today through March 4, Puriscal, southwest of San José. Info: 416-7886.
Badú N'Diaye and Santos y Zurdo
Tribal electro-beat, drums by Badu N'Diaye, from Senegal , 9 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro, east of San José. Info: 253-8933.
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Edited By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff | aroberson@ticotimes.net
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50,000 Expected to March Against CAFTA Today |
By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff | aroberson@ticotimes.net
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Leaders of the National Coordinator of the Fight Against the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) yesterday announced they expect no fewer than 50,000 people to take to the streets of San José today to march against CAFTA, a trade pact they say will strip Costa Rica of jobs and its public institutions.
Naming the march “A Day for the Nation,” the group's president Eugenio Trejos told the press he expects the protest will be carried out peacefully and “joyfully” as Ticos come out to make their voices heard.
Protestors plan to gather near the statue of León Cortés in La Sabana park on the western edge of San José and march east on Paseo Colón and Avenida Segunda toward the Legislative Assembly, where the controversial trade pact is being discussed by a committee and soon expected to move to its main floor.
Unlike previous anti-CAFTA marches, most protestors tomorrow plan to start at the same point rather than meeting at the Legislative Assembly, Trejos explained. Student groups from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) in San Pedro, east of San José, will be bussed to La Sabana park.
Though Trejos and others at yesterday's press conference said marchers plan to “guarantee the right of circulation” to citizens going about their routines, Traffic Police official José Solano said he expects major congestion.
Solano recommends drivers traveling from west to east in the morning avoid Paseo Colón and Avenida Segunda and take alternative routes or avoid San José altogether, he told the daily La Nación.
Authorities have also spoken of plans in place to make sure citizens maintain access to public services like health care and electricity during the march.
Social Security System (Caja) president Eduardo Doryan and Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) spokesman Giovanni Bonilla both told La Nación their institutions have contingency plans in place should today's events affect the services they provide.
Stay tuned to The Tico Times Daily News page for updates on today's anti-CAFTA march. |
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Government Promises More
Investment In Guanacaste |
Local and national leaders met for five hours Friday in Liberia, the capital of the northwestern Guancaste province, to discuss the province's problems, and they left with promises to invest in its improvement, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial.
Ministers, legislators and mayors from all of Guanacaste's cantons talked about issues including pubic safety, health, education, housing, water and roads, the statement said.
Public Works and Transport Minister Karla González announced a ¢4 billion ($7.7 million) investment the government plans to make to repair the province's roads.
Addressing crime, Public Security Minister Fernando Berrocal said police in Guanacaste will receive new vehicles and additional manpower, as 215 police officers are now in training to work in the area. The ministry also plans to open three new police stations in Guanacaste -- one at Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia and two in “beach areas” although the statement did not specify where.
Tourism Minister Carlos Benavides said improving the Daniel Oduber International Airport and implementing an urgently needed development plan for real estate and tourism projects are his priorities for the area, according to La Nación.
National Liberation Party (PLN) legislator Gilberto Jerez seconded Benavides' call for better planning. “We urgently need more investment in the area, but overall in the planning of tourism development,” he said. |
-Tico Times
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Cultural Center Opens New Branch in Esparza |
By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff | aroberson@ticotimes.net |
The Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center Friday inaugurated its new branch in the Pacific-slope town of Esparza, and area residents can sign up for English classes there beginning March 1, according to a statement from the center.
Classes will be available for children, adolescents and adults of the nearby communities of Puntarenas, Jacó and Orotina who want to learn English. Among classes to be offered are English Now; the Speak Plus program to improve pronunciation, vocabulary and comprehension; the Teens Xtreme program for 12-15 year olds; and First Steps, for children ages 8-11. These classes will be offered during the evening hours and on Saturdays, according to the statement.
The center has other branches in the San José areas of San Pedro and La Sabana; Alajuela, northwest of San José; and Cartago, east of San José. Its directors decided to expand to Esparza because of an increase in tourists to nearby areas, creating a growing job market for residents who speak English, the statement said.
The center's inauguration coincides with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announcing the closing of the Venzuelan state-run aluminum plant CVG Aluminios Nacionales S.A. (Alunasa), which employes 400 people in Esparza (TT, Feb. 23).
Among companies in the region that plan to train their employees at the center include Galvatica, Hotel Ramada and Marriot Los Sueños as well as the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), Banco de Costa Rica and BAC Costa Rica, according to the statement.
The center is located inside the Colegio Santa Sofía. For more information, call 636-7771 or 800-207-7500.
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