Film Festival
“El topo” (Mexico, 1970), April 22; “La montaña sagrada” (Mexico-U.S., 1973), April 29; “Santa sangre” (Mexico-Italy, 1989), May 6, all at 6 p.m., Contemporary Art and Design Museum .

2nd Performing Arts Conference
Opening talk, April 22, 7 p.m., Edificio Cooperativo, behind Mall San Pedro; “Arts and Transformation” talk, April 23, 7 p.m., Spanish Cultural Center; Peña Cultural, April 25, 8 p.m., Giratablas Theater, Barrio La California.

Short film festival
Features “Alegrías” (Cuba, 24'), “El Ojo de Dios” (Colombia, 15'), “Hasta Los Huesos” (Mexico, 10´), “Línea de Teléfonos” (Argentina, 18´), “Tesoro de los Caracoles” (Chile, 15¨), April 22, 7 p.m., Sala Calle 15, Av. 2, Ca. 13/15.

Earth Day
Including children's painting, cultural shows, food sale, exhibits, conferences and a concert by Guadalup Urbina, April 22, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., School of Geography School, UNA, Heredia.

Rod Blagojevich, the indicted governor of the U.S. state of Illinois, isn't coming to Costa Rica any time soon.

According to news reports, a U.S. district judge on Tuesday denied the former Democratic governor's bid to travel outside the country in order to appear on NBC's “I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” reality TV show that will begin production in Costa Rica next month.

The judge said Blagojevich, who pled not guilty to federal corruption charges last week, must remain in the United States to assist his attorneys in assembling a defense strategy.

In a statement last week, NBC confirmed that Blagojevich would be a contestant on the show pending the court's approval. The network has not released the names of the show's other contestants, but news and celebrity gossip Web sites have speculated that the show may include such celebrities and reality show regulars as talk show host Geraldo Rivera, MTV reality stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, former supermodel Janice Dickinson, former “American Idol” contestant Sanjaya Malakar and Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman.

Calls to NBC Tuesday were not immediately returned.

A remake of a popular British series, "I'm a Celebrity... Get me Out of Here” first ran on ABC in the United States in 2003. On that show, contestants were dropped in the Australian rainforest and forced to compete in such challenges as sitting in a tank of leeches and swimming through a snake-inhabited pool.

According to NBC, viewers decide which celebrities get booted off each episode, with the final winner being crowned “King or Queen of the Jungle” and winning a cash prize for their favorite charity. Multiple outlets reported that Blagojevich would have been paid $80,000 a week to participate in the show, which would have helped fund his legal defense.

Although the network has not confirmed exactly where and when the show will be filmed in Costa Rica, all signs point to the Sarapiquí region.

Selva Verde Rainforest Lodge is currently in negotiations with the network to house some of the cast or crew, a reservations supervisor told The Tico Times, while the daily La Nación reported that nearby Hotel Sueño Azul Resort would serve as the headquarters for production.

The resort would not comment when contacted by The Tico Times.

While President Oscar Arias has launched an international campaign to curtail the sale of firearms, he's also waging the battle against firearms on the home front.

Two days after returning from the Summit of the Americas – during which he used his floor time to speak against gun trafficking – his administration announced the progress of a bill that would amend the current Arms and Explosives Law.

The bill, which is currently before legislators, would prohibit the manufacture of weapons within Costa Rica, establish a limit on the number of firearms someone can have and adopt measures to avoid the possession of weapons by minors.

But the draft law goes further than that.

It would introduce clearer regulations regarding the use of firearms by police and private security guards, prohibit possession of firearms in bars and clubs and establish stricter requirements as to who can carry a firearm.

“These controls and requirements are vital, taking into account the number of dangers and fatal risks to individuals, their families and to third party (victims) such as young people,” said Rodrigo Arias, minister of the presidency. “For that reason, this bill is key for the government and, in general, for a Costa Rican society that puts security as one of its priorities.”

The minister of the presidency indicated that the World Bank Institute named Costa Rica one of the 50 safest countries in the world. And while he is pleased with the recognition, Rodrigo Arias said it doesn't change the administration's drive to make Costa Rica even safer.

“…We will continue to work in defense of our citizens' security,” he said. The effort to “reform the Arms and Explosives Law is vital and we hope it will become a reality as soon as possible.”

The city of Alajuela, northwest of San José, has become the fifth Costa Rica home of a PriceSmart warehouse shopping club.

The warehouse, across from the Mutual Alajuela headquarters and the entrance to Barrio La Trinidad, raises to 26 the number of PriceSmart membership shopping clubs worldwide. The company has warehouses in a total of 12 countries, including Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and countries across the Caribbean.

Recession does not seem to be deterring PriceSmart buyers; in fact, the opposite appears to be true. The company announced a 34 percent increase in sales profit for the U.S. fiscal second quarter, according to Forbes.com.

“We have better prices and special packaging, which is very good for savings,” said PriceSmart's Costa Rica marketing manager, Carla Chaves, who pointed out that the club's shoppers purchase products in three, four and six packs.

The 5,000 square meter Alajuela warehouse, which opened doors Friday, cost about $14 million to build and is creating 120 new jobs in the area, according to a company press release.