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Clarinete Concert
By the Costa Rican Clarinet Quartet, March 5, 7 p.m., Spanish Cultural Center.

CENAC Summer Festival
March 5, dance, with La Cuna del Swing and Lubín Barahona Orchestra, 5 p.m. March 6, mascarada, 10:30 a.m.; paper workshops, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; storytelling, noon; concert by Liceo de Costa Rica band, 1 p.m.; magic and storytelling, 2 p.m.; circus show, 3 p.m.; puppets, 3:30 p.m.; guitar concert, 4 p.m.; marimba concert, 6 p.m.; closing concert, La Orquesta Imposible, 7 p.m., all at CENAC.

14th Presidential Challenge of Costa Rica Fishing Tournament
Proceeds benefit the Billfish Foundation, March 5-7, Playa Carrillo, Guanacaste, www.preschallenge.com.

“Forasteros”
Drama, March 5-6 and 12-13, 7 p.m.; March 7 and 14, 5 p.m., Teatro Atahualpa del Cioppo, 1 km. west of Burger King, Heredia. Info: 8871-7219.

Comedy in English
March 5th, 8PM, Lemon Zest Restaurant, Jaco Beach. March 6th, Tamarindo.

Cociendo Sueños
Play for children, March 6, 10 a.m., Spanish Cultural Center.

La gran pelea de gallos
Play for children, March 6, 2 p.m., Escuela San José, Buena Vista de Guatuso, San Carlos.

Puppet Workshop for Kids
Dictated by Castiluce Theatrical Group, March 6, 3 p.m., Escuela San José, Buena Vista de Guatuso, San Carlos.

Indian Music Concert
March 6, 8 p.m., Teatro Dionisio, Café Britt, road to Barva, Heredia. Info: 8813-1283.

“Canto de ballenas”
Play by María Silva, March 6-7, 7 p.m., PIMA building, Quepos, Central Pacific.

International Women's Day Celebration
Including free dance classes, concert, folklore dances, March 7, 10 a.m., Curridabat.

International Women's Day Race and Hike
For women only, organized by Agenda Política de Mujeres, March 7, 5.3 km race leaves at 8:30 a.m. from Banco Nacional, Curridabat; 2.3 km hike leaves at 8:10 a.m. from Liceo Rodrigo Facio, across from Zapote Church. Registration is closed.

International Women's Day Race
Organized by the San José Municipality and San José Sports Committee, for women only, 7 km., March 7, 8 a.m., start and finish line at Zapote Bull Ring, free registration, deadline March 5

XIII Dog Festival
Including contests for best dressed, more obedient, best mix-breed, vaccinations, deworming, shows with Children's Museum and Star Wars characters, March 7, 10 a.m., José María Zeledón Neighborhood, Curridabat.

Free Concert for Peace
Performed by the National Symphony Orchestra, March 7, 10:30 a.m., University for Peace, Ciudad Colón.

Hike to Bajo La Paz, San Ramón
March 7, leaving at 6:30 a.m., from San Ramón Bus station.

Latin America has been absent from United States President Barack Obama's foreign policy priorities since he took office in January 2009. Despite pledging to renew his country's partnership with Latin America at the outset of his term, Obama's energy has been focused on the Middle East and Asia.

With U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to South and Central America this week, there came a new pledge to invest in the region. Through the Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas program introduced in 2008, Clinton said the United States would work to close economic gaps by targeting small businesses and women-driven enterprises.

“Talent is present everywhere. You can visit any town or school from Alaska to Patagonia and you'll see it but, unfortunately, opportunity is far from universal,” Clinton said at a meeting of foreign ministers at the Intercontinental Hotel in Escazú. “Too many people in too many places have never had the chance to realize their dreams of starting a business, pursuing an education, or lifting themselves and their families out of poverty. The U.S. will be focusing on several pathway initiatives to support entrepreneurs and create new opportunities across the Americas.”

Clinton said the U.S. would focus on the creation of small business development centers to help new enterprises, support and mentoring of women entrepreneurs and the modernization of rules involving loans to new business owners.

“We're not just talking about micro interventions …We're talking about assisting individuals and businesses by promoting broader change in order to realize the objectives we share,” she said.

For more on this story, see the March 5 print and digital editions of The Tico Times

See video for the United States position regarding Honduras

The inflation rate fell nearly an entire percentage point in February, as the National Statistics and Census Institute (INEC) reported that consumer prices increased an average of 0.69 percent over the course of the month.

In January, the inflation rate was measured at 1.63 percent, marking the highest increase in the consumer price index since August 2008.

In February, overall prices for education saw the biggest increase in cost, as expenses associated with attending university, high school, elementary school and preschool increased by more than 5 percent during the month. The price increase associated with education correlates with the return of students to school in early February after the year-end vacation period..

The prices of gasoline and of the casado, a traditional Costa Rican meal, also increased during the month.

However, the prices of some goods and services decreased. Expenses for entertainment and cultural activities fell by 0.92 percent in February, thanks in large part to the nearly 5 percent decrease in the prices of tourist packages and the more than 4 percent drop in the cost of airline tickets

Each month INEC measures the price variations of 292 goods and services to determine the inflation rate. In the first two months of 2010, the accumulated inflation rate is at 2.32 percent and it stands at 5.6 percent over the course of the last 12 months.

Each month INEC measures the price variation of 292 goods and services to determine the inflation rate. In the first two months of 2010, the accumulated inflation rate is 2.32 percent and is at 5.6 percent over the course of the last 12 months.

Though the INEC consumer price index is widely regarded as the primary indicator for inflation rate in Costa Rica, the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) said recently that the INEC should not be considered an exact representation of consumer prices.

“The Consumer Price Index is a good indicator to see the impact (of inflation) on the cost of living,” said Francisco de Paula Gútierrez, the president of the BCCR. “But it is not necessarily a good indicator to see the tendency of inflation as a process of sustained growth of the cost of goods and services in the economy.”

Gútierrez explained that a more accurate measure of overall inflation rate is the “truncated measurements” analysis the BCCR unveiled in January. This mode of analysis looks at a wider sample of products and services and puts more emphasis on overall alterations in consumer prices, versus the categorized calculations conducted by INEC.

The goal of the BCCR in 2010 is to monitor inflation in order to keep the rate at around 4 percent in 2010.

Bruce Callow is hoping last week's close of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games will spark a fire under his players.

The Canadian-born public affairs officer for the British Embassy in Costa Rica has been running a small hockey league at the El Castillo Country Club in San Rafael de Heredia, north of San José, for over 12 years now.

Canada's gold medal 3-2 victory in overtime over Team U.S.A. on Sunday to cap off this year's Winter Olympics has already had an impact.

“They were talking about it quite a bit last weekend,” he said. “We get together on Sunday, so it will probably be the topic of discussion this weekend too.”

Callow's team is the El Castillo Knights, and the league consists of roughly 15 players, mostly between 12 and 14 years of age. Despite a lack of frigid winter temperatures and outdoor ice rinks in Costa Rica, Callow says that interest in the sport here is growing.

“We have new alliances and new programs,” he said.

Last year, the league organized a small competition with The British School of Costa Rica, which began training at the rink two years ago. This year, Callow hopes to recruit teams from The Country Day School and Lincoln School.

In December 2009, the league received a visit from Henry Nuñez, The president of the Costa Rican Olympic Committee, to which Callow said the team “responded really well.”

With a little extra help and few more motivating moments like last Sunday's Olympic hockey final, Callow dreams of taking the league to the next level.

He hopes the growing interest that he sees in the sport will help reactivate Costa Rica's Winter Sports Association, promoting hockey even further. And, one day, he might take a team of his own to the Winter Olympics.

“Ultimately, the goal is to have a competitive international team,” he said. “We hope that we can show the powers that be that there is a real interest in hockey and great potential for its future here.”

For more about Bruce Callow's hockey efforts, or to join the league, contact him at: mundodehockey@yahoo.com

See the league's video here.