Subscribe to our Daily News RSS feed.

Read the Daily News on your mobile device.

2010 Limón Roots Black Culture Festival
Gala grand parade, Aug. 31, 3 p.m., leaving from Parque Vargas, Limón, with concert, 5 p.m., Liberty Hall, Black Star Line, Limón. Info: www.limonroots.net.

Theater at Noon
Dance show by Ex-anima, Aug. 31, 12:10 p.m., National Theater.

Spanish Film Festival
“Yo amo a mi perro,” Aug. 31, 7 p.m., Spanish Cultural Center.

Carnaval ArteViva 2010
Music, theater, dance, art, sports tournaments, street parades, carnival rides, food, workshops, alternative medicines, through Aug. 31, Puerto Viejo, Limón. Info: 8842-1741, www.arteviva-puertoviejo.com.

Recital
By soprano Ivette Ortiz and pianist Tanya Cordero, Aug. 31, 7 p.m., Room 107, School of Music, UCR, San Pedro.

Three hundred and eighty five days and nights have passed since Roma and Luda Gimelfarb last heard from their only son.

On Aug. 11, 2009, David Gimelfarb sent an e-mail to his parents to tell them he was going hiking in the rugged Rincón de la Vieja national park in Costa Rica's northwest Guanacaste province. Gimelfarb, who was studying for his Ph.D. at the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Illinois, came to Costa Rica to hike and vacation before returning to his studies in the fall. Two days after arriving in Costa Rica on Aug. 9, Gimelfarb, who was staying at the nearby Hacienda Guachipelín, drove his rental car to the park's entrance, and signed the park's log. His parents have not heard from him since.

In the following months, National Police, the Costa Rican Red Cross, and David's parents searched extensively in the Rincón de la Vieja National Park for any trace of David or his backpack, the only item he carried with him that day. But after months of searching, despite several alleged sightings, no official trace of David has been found.

But the Gimelfarbs will not give up hope. In an interview with The Tico Times Friday, they said they are convinced he is still alive and remains in Costa Rica, possibly roaming around Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula. They say sightings of David have been reported in a clockwise pattern in southern Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula.

According to the Gimlefarbs and an investigative group working with them to locate their son, there have been 18 sightings of David in Guanacaste which they say are credible.

In order to determine the reliability of the sightings, the Gimelfarbs say that witnesses have been asked a series of questions that only someone who has seen David could answer correctly.

But for David's parents, the most significant circumstance giving them hope is the fact that his body was never found.

“The most important thing we know is that he was not found in the park (Rincón de la Vieja ). He had to have walked out or exited some other way,” his mother Luda said. “That means he must still be in the area. He doesn't have his passport so he couldn't leave the country. We have to believe that he is still here, and that the people who are calling (claiming to have seen David) are telling us the truth.”

While the search for their only son continues, the Gimelfarbs, are also airing criticisms regarding the way in which missing persons cases are handled in Costa Rica. The Gimelfarbs, who recently returned to Costa Rica to pursue the investigation, claim they received little help from the U.S. Embassy, the National Police force, or the Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) with their search. As an example of this, the Gimelfarbs say they were never notified by the OIJ when the case was closed several months ago.

Costa Rica's Legislative Assembly continues to toy with the idea of taxing businesses registered as Sociedad Anónima s in order to strengthen citizen's security and law enforcement programs.

The current plan is to introduce a $300 annual tax ( ¢ 154,371) with the goal of raising $159 million a year. Government officials say the tax also would help them clear the national registry of an estimated 532,000 registered corporations, keeping only the ones that remain active.

But critics say the plan goes counter to President Laura Chinchilla's promise to promote small and medium-sized businesses.

In July, she said, “The values on which small businesses are based have been fundamental in improving this country. In the next few years, (small businesses) will make up the essential core that guarantees that Costa Rica continues to see economic growth, solidarity and sustainable development.”

Recognizing the strain the tax could put on small businesses, Finance Minister Fernando Herrero said he would only support the levy if it exempts businesses with an income less than $100,000.

A Sociedad Anónima (S.A.) is the corporate framework most often used by small businesses and consultants, which allows them to officially register with the state and conduct business. Many foreigners, who lack legal residency or national identification, also use S.A.s to help them open a bank account or receive telecommunication services.

The bridge normally serving the eastbound flow of traffic between La Aurora and the center of Barreal in Heredia is closed for repairs during the beginning of this week. The National Roadway Council (CONAVI) announced Monday morning that the structural bases of the bridge have been undercut by excess runoff due to recent heavy rains, making repairs necessary.

CONAVI expects completion of the project by Tuesday evening. It warns, however, that repair work may continue until Wednesday morning.

The parallel cement bridge serving westbound traffic remains open. Traffic Police are overseeing its use to alternately allow the passage of traffic in both directions. Nevertheless, the closure is causing notable congestion.

Those wishing to avoid the congestion can detour to the north, crossing between Barreal and La Aurora at any one of multiple alternatives.