Exercising summer classes
For people ages 50 and up, Jan. 13-14, 9-10 a.m. at the National Museum. Info.: 2256-4139, 2256-8643.

Basic flower arranging classes
Starting Jan. 13, Tues. and Thurs., 3-4:30 p.m. or 7:30-9 p.m., Escuela de Formación Floral de Costa Rica, 250 m west of Ricardo Saprissa Stadium ticket booth, green house. Info: 2236-6162, www.effcr.shutterfly.com.

Kingo Lovers and Pierre Monney in concert
Playing roots reggae, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, Escazú, 2288-4740, www.jazzcafecostarica.com.

Jazz jam session
Jazz Café Trio, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro, 2253-8933, www.jazzcafecostarica.com.

Four days after an earthquake caused an estimated $100 million damage in Costa Rica, President Oscar Arias declared a state of emergency yesterday to speed rescue and recovery efforts.

The decree frees state resources to rebuild houses, roads, schools and farms, and to restore electricity and water supplies in eight cantons in Heredia and Alajuela, north and northwest of San José, respectively. The decree also allows the government to expropriate property in the affected areas without first compensating owners.

Arias also declared Jan. 12-16 a national mourning period, when public festivities are now prohibited and public buildings must lower their flags to half mast.

Engineers are now working to identify houses and areas that are too dangerous for evacuees to return to. Daniel Gallardo, director of the National Emergency Commission (CNE), said about 500 houses and the entire village of Cinchona, near Poás Volcano, are uninhabitable. One priority is to relocate evacuees living in tents on soccer fields before Wednesday, when a cold front could bring rain, Gallardo said.

Arias has asked foreign governments for donations to rebuild schools, houses and roads. The Chinese government yesterday gave Costa Rica a $100,000 check, and the United States has loaned four helicopters and Colombia has provided one chopper for rescue and recovery.

The Finance Ministry is also negotiating grants from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the Inter-American Development Bank, said Minister Guillermo Zúñiga.

Lawmakers appear likely soon to approve a credit line from the World Bank to deal with natural disasters. The credit, awarded in November, would allow Costa Rica to borrow up to $65 million, to be repaid over 30 years at 2.25 percent interest.

The state of emergency is in effect in Alajuela, Grecia, Poás, Alfaro Ruiz, and Valverde Vega in the province of Alajuela, and Heredia, Barva, Santa Bárbara, Sarapiquí in the province of Heredia. The decree allows local governments and state institutions to donate money to the CNE for disaster relief, without first requesting a budgetary modification from the Comptroller General's Office.

The Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT) announced a series of advances in road work within the affected areas hit by Thursday's 6.2 quake.

Crews from MOPT are currently working on the construction of a 20-meter-long bridge between Varablanca and San Miguel over the Angel stream. It is estimated that this bridge will be open by Wednesday, where only light vehicles would be able to pass through.

The transport agency said in a statement that crews were able to move heavy machinery to the other side of stream to continue cleanup efforts where numerous landslides were reported after the quake.

In the section between Los Cartagos and Varablanca, a team with heavy machinery is working on the blocked road leading to the Water Falls Hotel, also severely damaged by the quake. MOPT says it hopes to reach the hotel by Wednesday and pull out the trapped vehicles there.

In San Isidro, in the region of Fraijanes, Alajuela, cleanup crews have been able to open up traffic both ways on Route 712. The MOPT team is also continuing to clear minor landslides in the area hoping to finish by Tuesday.

There is also work being done on Route 120 in Varablanca near the province limit between Heredia and Alajuela.

In the Sarapiquí region, in Boca Tapada, cleanup efforts were finished as all landslides have been cleared up in this area. The entrance to the Quebrada Seca bridge is currently blocked due to a collapsed structure that would be replaced by a pre-fabricated bridge.

The Ombudswoman's Office (2248-2374), the Christian charity organization Asociación Obras del Espíritu Santo (2286-5252), the Costa Rican Red Cross (2542-5000) and the National Emergency Commission (2210-2828) are coordinating all donations to assist those affected by Thursday's earthquake. They can direct anyone wishing to donate to the nearest drop-off or bank account.

CNE is receiving donations in the following bank accounts:

Banco de Costa Rica: 91100-3 (colones) and 118281-1 (dollars).

Banco Nacional: 911-8.

Banco de Costa Rica has also set up an account to help victims and said it will match up to ¢250 million ($454,545) of the donated money. The account number, if you are a BCR client, is 001-250-0. For non-clients, the account number, or número de cuenta cliente is: 15201001000025008, and the bank's identification number, or c édula institución autónoma, is:   4-000-000019.

BCR says that it will match any donations made by Jan. 23, up to ¢250 million ($450,000). Customers can also donate online by logging on to www.bancobcr.com, and by phoning (+506) 2258-9191. For more information on BCR donations, contact Kattia Morales (+506) 2287-9088 or (+506) 8388-0403.

Donations can also be made quickly and easily by text message from any Costa Rican cell phone within the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) network. By texting the word “DONAR” to one of the following numbers, you will automatically be charged the corresponding donation on your next bill: 1423 – ¢1,000 (about $1.80), 2423 – ¢2,000 ($3.60), 5423 - ¢5,000 ($9), and 9423 – ¢9,000 ($16.35).

The Costa-Rica American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) is receiving donations at its offices 300 meters north of ICE in Sabana Norte, and to its accounts with the Banco Nacional de Costa Rica. Donations in colones can be sent to #100 01 000 043517-2, dollars to #100 02 000 616147-5. For more information, contact AMCHAM's offices at (+506) 2220-2800.

The Red Cross has also designated Confecciones Borkar, S.A., the Alajuela-based business of AMCHAM President Michael Borg, as a donation site, located 800 meters west of the Catholic Church in San Poás. They can be reached at (+506) 2448-5575.

The Escazú Rotary Club has set up operations in the Hotel San Gildar in San Rafel de Escazú, and is seeking supplies including sleeping bags, milk, non-perishable food, candles and personal hygiene items. Contact the group at (+506) 2289-8843. They didn't collect anything today. The club will meet tonight and after that, we'll know if they'll continue collecting donations.

Other aid organizations have posted information on a group on the online social networking site Facebook, called Terremoto Costa Rica: ayuda a victimas (Costa Rica Earthquake: help the victims, at
http://es-la.facebook.com:80/group.php?gid=43715883340.

Further, the Red Cross can be contacted at 2542-5000 (operations) or 2528-0000 (administration), and the National Emergency Commission's call center is 2210-2725, 2210-2723, 2210-2763 and 2210-2764.

National Association for the Protection of Animals (ANPA) is also collecting donations for animals displaced by the disaster, and can be reached at (+506) 2255-3757 and 2255-7722.