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Credomatic Music Festival

InBio Park (Santo Domingo, Heredia): Albéniz Quartet (Spain), Aug. 8, 5 p.m.

Villa Caletas Hotel (Puntarenas, road to Jacó): Kirill Gliadkovsky, Aug. 7, 5:30 p.m.; Gaia Hotel (Manuel Antonio): Katharina Hanstedt (Germany, harp), Klaus Schöpp (Germany, flute), Aug. 7, 5:30 p.m.

El Establo Hotel (Monteverde): A Cappella, Aug. 8, 5 p.m.

Montaña de Fuego Hotel (Arenal Volcano): Teresa de la Torre and Montserrat Ardevol (Spain, soprano, guitar), Aug. 8, noon.

FREE CONCERTS

Metropolitan Cathedral (Av. 2, Ca. Ctrl./2): Kirill Gliadkovsky (Russia, organ), Aug. 8, 2 p.m.

San Ramón Church (San Ramón, Alajuela): Albéniz Quartet, Aug. 7, 8 p.m.

See this week's print or digital edition for the full program.

Auditions
Jugglers, clowns, and other children entertainment groups are invited to participate, auditions are being held through Aug. 6, Children's Museum, 2223-3551.

Expocasa 2010
Aug. 6-8, Pedregal Ferial Camp, San Antonio de Belén, Heredia.

Singing Recital
By Anayanci Quiros, Aug. 6, 7 p.m., Spanish Cultural Center.

Cine Forum of the film “La Vida Loca”
Mara 18 El Salvador: Critic Dr. Carlos Sandoval, Aug. 6, 4 p.m., Auditorium Rodolfo Cisneros, UNA, 2511-5570.

Art Prize Festival Jacó 2010
Art exhibit and competition, through Aug. 8, Centro Commercial Urena, located next to Tabacón Restaurant in downtown Jacó, 2643-2853.

Garabito Recycling Campaign
Receiving, newspaper, white paper print, photocopy paper, notebooks, magazines and books without cover page, booklets and boxes without tapes, and tetrapack, soda, beer and energy drinks cans; plastic bottles: sodas, water and yogurt; plastic buckets, glass bottles and plastic containers, among others. Inkjet cartridges (original and generic used in all brands except Epson printers) and laser toner cartridges (except those used in photocopiers), Aug. 6, 6 a.m.-8 p.m., contact Lic. Ana Sofía Quesada Schmidt Supplier Department in the Municipality of Garabito, 2643-3038 ext: 16-17-42, proveeduria@munigarabito.go.cr.

Concert by Plectros Orchestra from Germany
Guitar, Mandoline, Bandurria, Vihuela, bass and flaute, Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m., José Figueres Cultural Center, San Ramón.

Violin Recital
Aug. 6, 5 p.m., José Figueres Cultural Center, San Ramón.

Opera “Giulio Cesare in Egitto”
By Händel, performed by Opera Nova, Aug. 7, 11, 7:30 p.m., National Auditorium, Children's Museum. 

Son de Tikizia in Concert
Salsa, Aug. 7, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, Escazú.

OWCR Open Water Swimming Competition
Aug. 7-8, Hacienda Pozo Azul, Río Cuarto, 2294-8612, 8376-4938, 8890-4329, www.multireto.com.

Voter Registration
Organized by Democrats Abroad of Costa Rica, Aug. 7, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., register to vote at votefromabroad.org or in the Muñoz y Nanne restaurant in San Pedro 8721-6497.

“Vuelo AK-713”
Circus Show for kids, Aug. 7, 10 a.m., Spanish Cultural Center.

Bon Jovi Tickets On Sale
Tickets for Bon Jovi concert, to be held Sept. 26 at Ricardo Saprissa Stadium go on sale at www.specialticket.net, Servimas outlets, La Barbería, or Bansbach music stores. Or call 2206-7770

Benefit Cycling
Cyclists are invited to support Luis Mariano Valerio Foundation, Aug. 8, further information 2225-7758.

Speed-Cross Exhibition
Motorcycle exhibits, and four-wheelers, to collect money for the Desamparados Sports Committee, live music, food, entertainment for children, Aug. 8, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., soccer field, El Rosario, Desamparados.

Celebration of 119 of the Goicoechea Canton
Including cultural shows, sports, contests, food, through Aug. 8, Guadalupe park.

The Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT) and the National Roadway Council (CONAVI) announced that Route 624, which connects Montezuma to neighboring towns on the Nicoya Peninsula, will undergo repairs during the next 12 months. The repairs to the road were ordered by the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV) after residents in Montezuma pleaded for improvements to the dangerous, pot-hole-riddled road.

According to a statement by the Sala IV, vote number 2010-11938 ensures that “the necessary measures will be executed to eliminate the dust problems and resolve the faulty road conditions on Route 624 Montezuma within a period of one year.”

Due to accumulation of dust in the dry season and heavy rains in the wet season, road conditions along Route 624 are considered treacherous for residents and visitors to the heavily-visited tourist town in the southern Nicoya Peninsula.

Mexican President Felipe Calderón called for a “new phase” in confronting organized crime in his country during which he would consider debate on the legalization of drugs.

With the homicide rate climbing to nearly 28,000 each year, he said that Mexico needs a more profound intervention with concrete commitments.

Though he opposes the idea of legalizing drugs, he said he'd be interested in further investigation.

“Any action taken in this area in the international arena and, particularly in the United States, will have repercussions in Mexico, which always forces one to do an analysis,” Calderón said.

On one hand, the head of state said, legalization would reduce an important income stream for organized crime, but on the other, it puts many generations of young people at risk, as legalization could imply greater availability at lower prices.

The fact that Mexico is also a transit country for drugs headed to the U.S., the world's largest drug consumer, would make any move taken by Mexico inconsequential, Calderón said, and “lead us to pay all the negative consequences and receive few, or none, of the benefits.”

The call for drug legalization has been around for years among Latin American states, as countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama bear the brunt of the negative effects of the drug trade. Many Central American leaders argue that legalizing drugs would eliminate demand on the black market, helping shut down the cartels and gangs that have plagued their countries in recent decades.

Speaking at a nationwide conference on security issues this week, Calderón said, “Today, more than any other time, the fight for the security of Mexicans is a cause that no one can ignore. It's necessary to put Mexico's interests ahead of any other consideration.”

There must be thousands of us who would give anything to return to a memorable class with our favorite professor, the one class where we were so mesmerized we forgot to take notes. But this time we would be ready to listen well.

That golden opportunity came to U.S. journalist Mitch Albom. Twenty years out of college, he turned on his TV and saw Morrie Schwartz, his old university sociology professor, on Ted Koppel's “Nightline” news program. Albom contacted the 78-year-old Schwartz, who was dying of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The former student decided to visit his professor, and his regular Tuesday visits turned into Schwartz's final series of life lectures on love, values, friendship, family, acceptance, communication, happiness and death, that most significant lesson of all.

Albom wrote a nonfiction novel about these meetings in 1997, and “Tuesdays with Morrie” became the top national bestseller in 2000. A TV movie version starring Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria aired in 1999.

Schwartz's insights and outlook, so inspirational to Albom, may now move local English-speaking audiences as well. Directed and adapted for theater by Canadian Noel Montagano, “Tuesdays with Morrie” is being presented this weekend by the Little Theatre Group (LTG) of Costa Rica, the oldest English-language community theater group in Central America. The production is being staged as a dramatic reading and stars three talented members of the theater group: Tony Kasday, Larry Shaw and Cliff Robison.

The play runs this weekend only, with performances Aug. 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 8 at 2:30 p.m. at the Laurence Olivier Theater in San José, on Avenida 2, Calle 28, next to Sala Garbo theater.

Reservations may be made at 8858-1446 or www.littletheatregroup.org. Through special arrangement with Tin Jo and Hotel Grano de Oro restaurants, theatergoers who reserve tickets online may also reserve dinner or brunch online.