Subscribe to our Daily News RSS feed.

Read the Daily News on your mobile device.

2010 Student Arts Festival
Art exhibits, presentations, through Aug. 16, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., CENAC. Info: 2223-0229.

Central American Theater Festival
“Femenine Sensitivity,” discussion with Roxana Avila, Ailyn Morera, Gladys Alzate and Jorgelina Cerritos, Aug. 16, 7 p.m at Spanish Cultural Center, Spanish Cultural Center, Barrio Escalante, Av. 13, Ca. 31. Info: 2257-2919

20th Credomatic Music Festival
Teresa de la Torre, soprano, and Montserrat Ardévol, guitar (Spain), Aug. 16, 8 p.m., National Theater, Av. 2, Ca. 3/5, 2221-5341.

Government officials, local leaders and consultants all but set off fireworks at the introduction of the decentralization law in the Crowne Plaza Corobicí Hotel last May.

With an elaborate lunch buffet and speeches by then-President Oscar Arias and his brother Rodrigo Arias, then presidency minister, which brought standing ovations, the attendees celebrated the fact that municipalities had finally succeeded in wresting power and financial resources away from the central government.

Under the new Law to Strengthen Municipalities and Decentralization (FOMUDE), the central government has seven years to effect a transfer of at least 10 percent of public resources to local governments. It must also ensure that the infrastructure is in place for municipalities to use the funds productively.

But, three months later, municipalities have not seen the promised support.

At a press conference Wednesday, President Laura Chinchilla dismissed claims that her government was purposefully delaying the transfer of power.

“No one is delaying anything,” she said. “The law was approved. The process was set in place. And we are going to implement it.”

But the factor that has blocked the decentralization effort for decades – an alleged lack of capacity by local governments – is also tying up Chinchilla in putting the legislation into effect.

She said she is not comfortable transferring power when municipalities aren't prepared to manage the additional resources.

“We want to make sure that at the moment we turn over management, service improves, it doesn't get worse,” she said. “Our mission has always been the same – to comply with the law – but at the same time we need to guarantee we don't disrupt service to the public.”

She said the government is working “rigorously” on advancing the decentralization process.

The Steinvorth building, a more than century-old, two-story brick edifice in downtown San José, on Thursday was awarded ₡ 100 million (nearly $200,000) for a makeover. 

The building, 50 meters north of the Wendy's restaurant on Avenida Central, beat out eight other buildings to win the prize in the Culture Ministry's annual Save Our Architectural Heritage contest.

The money will be used to restore the structure's original architecture and convert the building into a mixed-use facility that will include apartments as well as businesses.

At present, the building hosts several stores on the first floor and a café and bar on the second floor. The bar, open until 2 a.m., opened in 2009 and spins an array of music styles throughout the week.

The Steinvorth building was completed in 1907 by Otto Steinvorth, a German immigrant. During World War II, the building was a popular meeting place for ethnic Germans living in Costa Rica. Claiming it was a center for supporters of Adolph Hitler and the Nazis, the Costa Rican government took over the building during the war.

In the 1950s, a Steinvorth descendant reclaimed the building.

The Save Our Architectural Heritage contest has contributed funds to the restoration of historic buildings throughout the country since 1997.

Beginning Sept. 1, 80 police officers will be patrolling downtown San José to provide protection for tourists in the heart of the city, for people on their way home from work, or for those who want to do errands or enjoy a little of the city's nightlife.

In effect Monday to Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. and during extended weekend hours, the policing measure is part of “ San José, Security and Leisure,” a joint program of the Public Security Ministry, the Culture Ministry and the San José Municipality.

The program will focus on the area between Calles 2 and 23, from Avenidas 2 to 10 on the south side of the city and Avenidas 9 to 15 on the north side. Tourists sitting on the balconies of their hotels or out around the Plaza de la Cultura and nearby casinos, as well as those in the area of the refurbished La Aduana arts complex, will have late-night protection on weekends stretching from 5 p.m. to midnight Fridays, 9 a.m. to midnight Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays.

In the various parks dotting downtown, the Culture Ministry will launch a series of activities starting Sept. 15; specifics were not available at press time.

Enrique Arguedas, head of plans and operations for the National Police and special representative for the Public Security Ministry, said in a telephone interview that the added protection is being made possible by the addition to the police force of recently graduated officers, who will enable the ministry to beef up protection in the downtown area without cutting back elsewhere.

According to Arguedas, the project will be in effect at least until the end of the year.

“We review projects each week and each month to see the numbers of arrests,” Arguedas said. “Parallel to this, there will be other new actions in the peripheral zones of San José to support safety in the city; those are still under discussion.