Scenic Snapshots: This photo of the Caribbean-slope Turrialba region is part of an exhibit of works by photographer Faustino Desinach on display at the National Gallery inside the National Children's Museum in San José.

Following the theme of E.U.-Central American relations that took center stage last week during the first round of negotiations of an association agreement between these two regions, a delegation of the European Parliament is scheduled to visit Costa Rica later this week to work on strengthening ties, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

Celebrating the Italian Language
With an Italian film screening and food tasting, 5:30 p.m., Casa Italia, Los Yoses, 200 m south of KFC, Los Yoses, San José. Info: 224-6049.

VIII International Baroque Music Festival
Featuring AEMAI Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Santa Ana Church, west of San José. Info: 226-3249 or 377-6608, or visit www.aemai.com.

The latest character in this season's cast of bad weather villains, a tropical storm by the name of Noel, is hovering near the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, according to a statement from the National Emergency Commission (CNE).

National meteorologists have reported that Noel is producing cloudy conditions along the Pacific coast, especially in the Southern Zone cantons of Corredores, Golfito and Osa.

Rainfall early yesterday morning caused flooding in these cantons and forced the commission to open a shelter in Ciudad Neilly to accommodate 26 people who had to evacuate their homes.

The commission has called for a yellow alert for the central Pacific and Southern Zone, as rain is expected to continue in these areas. In the Northern Pacific, rain is likely to remain steady and then diminish into partly cloudy skies.

The CNE has stationed emergency workers throughout the southern Osa Peninsula, the part of the country considered the most vulnerable because of strong winds.

The Caribbean remains under a green alert as rain in the mountains could cause rivers to rise, the statement said.

Over the weekend, CNE president Daniel Gallardo met with the mayors of cantons that suffered damage by recent flooding to discuss plans for repair work.

He asked them to write reports of their cantons' damages to prioritize rebuilding projects. This week, the commission will work on the five most crucial projects for each canton including cleaning up rivers, clearing roads and sewers and repairing bridges.

President Oscar Arias declared a state of emergency to free up funding earlier this month after flooding damaged infrastructure and homes in much of the country (TT, Oct. 19).

-Tico Times

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

A Canadian member of the Hell's Angels was denied entry to Costa Rica Saturday solely because of his association with this notorious biker group, according to a statement released yesterday by the international police agency Interpol.

The man, identified as James William Miller, arrived at Juan Santamaría International Airport, just northwest of San José, on an Air Canada flight. Immigration authorities decided not to allow him to enter and sent him back to Canada on the next flight.

The Interpol office in Ottawa, Canada, emitted an international alert for Miller because of his association with the Hell's Angels, a group associated with murder, money laundering, drug trafficking and extortion among other crimes, the statement said.

Miller is not accused of any crimes in Canada and was denied entry to Costa Rica solely because of his association with the Hell's Angels, said an Interpol spokeswoman who would not identify herself because of the agency's policy to remain anonymous when speaking to the press.

Immigration officials are free to decide whom they let into Costa Rica, she explained

Following the theme of E.U.-Central American relations that took center stage last week during the first round of negotiations of an association agreement between these two regions, a delegation of the European Parliament is scheduled to visit Costa Rica later this week to work on strengthening ties, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

The group will arrive Wednesday and plans to begin their visit with a working breakfast with Costa Rican ambassadors of countries belonging to the European Union.

E.U. representatives will then be received by Vice-President Laura Chinchilla and meet with Legislative Assembly president Francisco Antonio Pacheco, legislative faction heads and members of the foreign relations and foreign trade commissions.

Also on the group's agenda is a roundtable discussion on the association agreement being negotiated by the two regions and meetings with the vice-ministers of Foreign Relations and Foreign Trade.

The European delegation includes representatives from Spain, Slovakia, Portugal and Poland.