Your Land, My Land: Students and former students from Conservatorio Costella in Heredia, north of San José, performed yesterday in downtown San José's Culture Plaza as part of International Refugee Day. The 35-minute drama, “ Toda Tierra es Tu Tierra,” (“All Land is Your Land”) included three acts that depict experiences common to refugees throughout the world; the event was organized by the Costa Rican branch of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

It's a job that would make most of us quake in our boots or call for our mommies – but not Jorge Woodbridge, apparently.

WORLD MUSIC DAY PERFORMANCES

National Culture Center (CENAC) San José, Ave. 3/5, Calle 11/15; San José Band, 9:45 a.m.; Alajuela Band, 11 a.m.; Heredia Band, 12:45 p.m.

Central Bank Museums San José, Ave. Ctrl./2, Calle 5; Transfusión, 11 a.m.; Shangri La, noon; Patricio Torres, 12:45 p.m.; Aka Ska, 1 p.m.; Contraparte, 2 p.m.; Té para 3, 3 p.m.

Central Park San José, Ave. 2/4, Calle 2/4; University of Costa Rica (UCR) Trombones, 11:15 a.m.; Zaratustra, noon; Polaroid, 12:45 p.m.; Reencuentro Latino, 1:30 p.m.; Prototipo, 12:15 p.m.; Katastrofe, 3 p.m.; El Lado del Sol, 3:45 p.m.; Voz Estereo, 4:30 p.m.; Armeck, 5:15 p.m.; Digital 80, 6 p.m.; Escats, 6:45 p.m.; Sulakaska, 7:30 p.m.; Moon Light, 8 p.m.

Escuela Fidel Chávez San Antonio de Belén; Liceo de Costa Rica, 4:30 p.m.; Mestizo, 6 p.m.; Proyección Andina, 6:45 p.m.; School Band, 7:30 p.m.; folkloric group, 8 p.m.; Escencias Duo, 9 p.m.

National Gymnasium, San José, La Sabana Park; Amigos Intimos, 6 p.m.; Rumba Mora, 6:45 p.m.; Peregrino Gris, 7:30 p.m.; Gandhi, 8:15 p.m.; Balbino, 9 p.m.; Son de Tikizia, 10:30 p.m.

Parque Morazán San José, Calle 5/9, Ave. 3/5; Bamaselo, noon; ESIMPLE, 12:45 p.m., Raza Bronce, 1:30 p.m.; Los Acetatos, 2:15 p.m; Versión Beta, 3 p.m.; Carmele Suite, 3:45 p.m.; ExNobia, 4:30 p.m.; Sensor/Poper, 5 p.m.; Times Forgotten, 7:30 p.m.

Plaza de las Artes San José, Calle 9, Ave. 2/6; Mártir, 10:30 a.m.; Sentimiento Anónimo, 11 a.m.; Vietcong, noon; El Muelle, 12:45 p.m.; Patricio Torres, 1:30 p.m.; Diego Marín and Pícaro, 2 p.m.; Solsticio, 3 p.m.; Antonio Zárate, 3:45 p.m.; Oscar Jiménez, 4:30 p.m.; Juan Shaman, 5 p.m.; Graciela Vargas, 6 p.m.; Natalia Esquivel, 6:45 p.m.

Plaza del Correo, San José, Calle. 2, Ave.; Rondalla Fuerza Pública, 10:30 a.m.; Calypso, 11 a.m.; Grupo Experimental, noon; In Saxus, 12:45 p.m.; Sacrificio, 1:30 p.m.; En Viaje, 2:15 p.m.; In Situ, 3 p.m.; Quinto Día, 3:45 p.m.; Següe, 4:30 p.m.; Incertidumbre, 5:15 p.m.; Quinto Día, 6 p.m.; Sintagma, 6:45 p.m.

San Vicente Park, Moravia; Taforen, noon; Wagner Vargas, 12:45 p.m.; Luis Granera Varela, 1 p.m.; Miguel Cabrera Band, 4:30 p.m.; Liceo Nocturno Choir, 6 p.m.; Alpha y Omega, 6:45 p.m.; UNA Choir, 7:30 p.m.; Mariachi Mexico, 8 p.m.

By Blake Schmidt
Tico Times Staff | bschmidt@ticotimes.net

President Oscar Arias yesterday ordered a national state of emergency in the wake of violent weather that caused floods, landslides and even a tornado last week.

The decree was signed in Belén, one of several Central Valley cantons that suffered flooding. It gives the National Emergency Commission (CNE) more control and resources to reconstruct the area's infrastructure and homes after the week of brutal weather.

“Above all, I want to thank the selfless volunteers who work for the commission, which is a demonstration of solidarity with the rest of Costa Ricans,” Arias said.

Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias said that since CNE's budget comes from 3% of each public institution's budget, he would order all institutions to make sure their payments to the commission are up to date.

An estimated 300 homes were damaged by a tornado that hit Alajuelita, south of the capital, last week. Around the Central Valley, 250 homes have been “severely damaged” by flooding and several bridges have been washed out by heavy rains, according to a statement from the CNE.

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) is maintaining a green, preventive alert for the Central Valley, southern Pacific coast and southern Caribbean.

The commission has put the southern San José district of Desamparados under a yellow alert, and a red alert remains in place in Alajuelita. The Central Valley cantons of Belén, Flores, and Alajuela are also under a red alert because of potential flooding, according to CNE spokesman Reinaldo Carballo said.

By Peter Krupa
Tico Times Staff | pkrupa@ticotimes.net

A poll released yesterday by the University of Costa Rica (UCR) found that nearly half of all voting heads of household in Costa Rica would vote in favor of the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) if October's referendum on the treaty were held today.

Meanwhile, 37.6% said they would vote against the treaty, with 12.8% still undecided. With a 4-point margin of error, that means that even if all 12.8% of undecided voting respondents voted against CAFTA, it would only achieve a statistical tie.

The poll is limited in its scope and should not be taken as a portrait of Costa Rica's total population, said Miguel Rodríguez, director of UCR's School of Statistics. Since the school originally designed the study to gauge consumer confidence, not political opinions, only heads of household were consulted in the poll.

Likewise, the school's Center of Opinion Studies conducted the poll of 705 Costa Ricans by telephone, meaning that the opinions of the 35% of Costa Ricans who don't have a telephone were not included.

By Katherine Stanley
Tico Times Staff | kstanley@ticotimes.net