More than Meets the Eye: The cinematic portrayal of those mutating superheroes, whom many will remember from childhood, comes to Costa Rican screens today in the movie “Transformers.” See the Weekend section of today's print or electronic edition of The Tico Times for theaters and show times.

Fret not if you can't make it to Saturday's Live Earth event, a 24-hour, seven-continent concert series promoting environmental protection and conservation. Eight hours of it will be broadcast live on Costa Rica's RadioDos, 99.5 FM, tomorrow starting at 11 a.m.

Tamarindo Town Meeting
Held by the Tamarindo Improvement Association, 4 p.m., Hotel Pasatiempo.

Concert
Singer/songwriter Bob Benjamin Zúñiga performs, 8 p.m., Upper Deck Sports Bar, Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste.

Urban Theater Encounter
Today, mascarade, 5 p.m.; play “Leyendas,” by La Yunta Group, 6:45 p.m. tomorrow, mime show, 2 p.m.; storytelling show by Ana Amador, Ana Coralia Fernández, Ana Victoria Garro and Kattia Muñoz, 3 p.m.; play “Te lo Canto,” by Rubén Pagura, 7 p.m. Sunday, play “Las Aguas del Fin del Mundo,” 11:30 a.m.; “Caperucita en la Ciudad,” 1 p.m.; Juan Cuenta Cuentos, 2 p.m.; play “Arapos,” by La Taranta Group, 6 p.m., Casa de la Cultura, Ipís, Guadalupe. Info: 234-2926 and 816-4679. All shows are free.

Tropical Medicinal Plants Part II
Step-by-step instructional class on how to prepare and use many of the important medicinal plants of this area, 11 a.m., Gaia Center, Playa Chiquita, 10 min. south of Puerto Viejo, next to restaurant Vida Sana. Info: 750-0385, mariposaz@care2.com

Flying Borracho Brothers
Joined by fantastic fiddler Nancy Buchan, 7 p.m., Rio Lindo, Dominical. Info: espan27@gmail.com

Raft-Up Fiesta
Including music, games, dance, boat trip to a secluded beach, 11 a.m., leaving from El Pescador, Tamarindo. Info: 833-7780, 653-1020.

Santa Paula Road Race
10.6 km., 9 a.m., start and finish at Universidad Santa Paula, Lomas de Ayarco Sur, Curridabat. Info: 272-0006.

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

Torrential rains that continue to flood homes and lead residents to seek shelter in the Northern Zone and Caribbean have led the National Emergency Commission (CNE) to maintain a green, preventive alert in these areas, according to a statement from the commission.

This weather, produced by strong winds, has damaged homes and washed out roads in the Caribbean-slope cantons of Pococí, Guácimo, Siquirres and Matina, as well as the Northern Zone towns of Upala, Los Chiles, Guatuso and Ciudad Quesada.

In Siquirres, local emergency committees have reported 90 homes flooded and roads impassable. Sewers clogged with trash have also caused streets to flood in Pococí, and a shelter has been opened in Astúa Pirie to help families forced to abandon their homes.

Emergency workers are heading into these areas to assess damages and bring supplies such as blankets and food rations.

The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) expects rains to die down in the Northern Zone and Caribbean tomorrow and Sunday, according to meteorologist Rosario Alfaro.

However, heavy rains are likely to roll into the Central Pacific, possibly extending south to the Southern Zone and north to Guanacaste.

“We're expecting heavy rains and storms in these areas, especially during the afternoon hours,” Alfaro said.

By the year 2011, energy from another of Costa Rica's volcanoes could be powering homes and businesses under a plan by the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) to build another geothermal energy plant in the northwestern Guanacaste province.

The project just came one step closer to becoming a reality when the Comptroller General's Office gave the green light for the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) to finance the construction of the plant on the outskirts of Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, according to a statement from the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE).

The project, called Las Pailas, is expected to be operating by 2011 and have the capacity to produce 35 megawatts of electricity per hour.

CABEI plans to invest $160 million to build the plant in four years and “rent” it to ICE during a 12-year period, during which ICE has the option to purchase it.

Under the contract, ICE is responsible for the plant's construction, which involves tapping into geothermal sources and installing the necessary tubing to harvest this energy.

Geothermal power, considered a “clean” form of energy, is more environmentally friendly and readily available than conventional, petroleum-derived energy, the statement said.

Two geothermal power plants operate near the Miravalles Volcano in Guanacaste. Costa Rica produces 80% of its electricity using hydroelectric dams, 5.3% from geothermal sources and 1.3% from wind power. The rest of the country's energy comes from conventional fuels.

-Tico Times

Fret not if you can't make it to Saturday's Live Earth event, a 24-hour, seven-continent concert series promoting environmental protection and conservation. Eight hours of it will be broadcast live on Costa Rica's RadioDos, 99.5 FM, tomorrow starting at 11 a.m.

Live Earth will feature more than 100 music artists, including high-profile names such as Madonna, Dave Matthews, Genesis and The Police. The event was founded by Kevin Wall, the worldwide executive producer of Live 8, another series of concurrent benefit concerts that took place in 2005 in the member nations of the G8.

RadioDos advertisements promoting environmental awareness in Costa Rica will also run on the station during the broadcast of Live Earth. RadioDos is the only radio station in Costa Rica that will be broadcasting the event.

For more information on Live Earth, visit www.liveearth.org. For more on Radio Dos, visit www.radiodos.com.