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Inauguration of Santa Ana Municipal Integrated Arts School (EMAI)
piano and violin concert, April 7-8, 7 p.m., EMAI, 200 m south, 100 m east of the church, Santa Ana Centro. Info: 2203-5822, www.emaicr.com.

World Health Day
Including free aerobics, dance classes, traditional games, and food sales, April 7, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Paraiso Park, Cartago.

Concert by the UCR Chamber Orchestra
Performing works by Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn, April 7, 8 p.m., Melico Salazar.

Two large forest fires broke out on Sunday in the northwestern province of Guanacaste.

As of Tuesday morning, one fire had engulfed nearly 500 hectares of Palo Verde National Park and the second had consumed close to 100 hectares in Guanacaste National Park.

Crews have contained the blaze in Guanacaste National Park, but strong winds and thick, dry undergrowth have made it difficult for firefighters to control the flames in Palo Verde.

On Tuesday, firefighters and members of government fire control teams surrounded the conflagration with tractors and fire fighting equipment in hopes of stopping the inferno. Attempts on Monday to restrain the fires failed.

The fire in Palo Verde began in a remote area of park, according to official reports. Authorities believe that hunters caused the initial spark.

On Tuesday morning, firefighters and conservation officials monitored the fire from airplanes.

Including the two blazes that ignited on Sunday, there have been 35 forest fires inside protected areas this year that have devoured more than 700 hectares of conservation land.

In January, the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Telecommunications (MINAET) warned that the El Niño-forced drought toward the end of 2009 would lead to active and prolonged forest fires during the dog days of 2010.

Conservation officials in Guanacaste said that April, before May brings showers, is the most critical month for forest fires, especially in the north Pacific region – the area in Costa Rica most affected by the 2009 drought.

So far, no homes or communities have been affected by forest fires this year.

Delegates from Costa Rica and Singapore signed a free-trade agreement on Monday, concluding negotiations that began in April of last year. The agreement with Singapore is the first-ever trade pact signed with an Asian nation and the third free-trade accord inked during the watch of Foreign Trade Minister Marco Vinicio Ruiz, who was appointed by President Oscar Arias in 2006. Ruiz was also instrumental in the signing of free-trade agreements with Panama in 2007 and the Central American free-trade agreement with the U.S. (CAFTA) in 2008.

On Monday, Ruiz was in Singapore to officially pen the agreement with S. Iswaran, the senior minister of state for trade and industry for Singapore. According to a press release from the Foreign Trade Ministry (COMEX), the free-trade agreement will present more opportunities for Costa Rica's productive sectors to distribute their products in the international market, as well as provide better access to foreign goods and services. Currently, Costa Rica exports more than 60 products to Singapore, a number which is expected to grow now that the free-trade agreement has passed. According to the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER), in the first two months of 2010, the export of goods and services to Singapore rose 78 percent compared to the same time frame in 2009.

“The signing of this free-trade agreement opens a very big door for Costa Rica in its trade relations with Asia,” Ruiz said. “(The free-trade agreement) represents a platform of opportunities that offers significant growth in trade and future bilateral investment between the two countries.”

Singapore, a string of islands south of Malaysia and north of Indonesia, is an important port and distribution center for much of Asia. In recent years, Singapore has become a burgeoning location for countries importing and exporting goods to and from Asia. According to COMEX, the per capita income of the 4.6 million citizens of Singapore is $36,569, about six times greater than the $6,498 per capita income of Costa Ricans.

This could be the first of two free-trade agreements signed this month, as Ruiz is scheduled to visit China this week for the official signing of a free-trade accord with that country. After 13 months of negotiations, Costa Rica and China finalized the details of the potential free-trade agreement in February.

Spirit Airlines, which has one daily flight to Costa Rica and a call center in the country, has become the first airline to charge for carry-on luggage.

Effective for all flights for which tickets were purchased after Tuesday, April 6, carry-on luggage that cannot fit under the seat will cost travelers between $20 and $45.

“Bring less; pay less.  It's simple,” said Spirit's Chief Operating Officer Ken McKenzie in a statement released on Monday.

He said the new fee would reduce the number of carry-on bags, which will “improve in-flight safety and efficiency by speeding up the boarding and deplaning process.”

Instead of offering the traditional “all-inclusive” deals, the airline branded itself as an ultra-low-cost carrier in 2007, with the idea that people should only pay for the services they use. The aim was to keep the base fare low and charge for extras (like drinks and baggage.)

On Monday, they introduced one penny flights to select locations. Add on taxes and the fuel charge and the flights are going for as much as $55.2.

This might seem like a great deal, even with the extras, but the savings aren't trickling down to Costa Rica. The best deal you can get for a round-trip ticket from San José to LaGuardia Airport in New York is $380.

Add on the $45 carry-on baggage fee (it's $20 if you belong to their Fare Club and $30 if you give them the heads up you are traveling with an extra bag), plus the $25 fee for checked baggage, and you're well beyond many of the other carriers in price.