Daily Archives: February 9, 2011

St. Valentine’s Day concert Sunday at Paseo Colón

St. Valentine’s Day will come a day early Sunday on Paseo Colón when the San José concert band and the musical group Gaviota present a concert. This is part of the program where municipal officials block off the major roadway … Continue reading

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Toxic candies contain excessive lead, FDA says

They had great names for kids, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that the candies contained too much lead for human consumption. So the Ministerio de Salud has issued a warning for Pakistani-made candies called Toxic Waste and … Continue reading

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Emergency agency evicts itself from headquarters

The national emergency commission is kicking itself out of its headquarters because the structure is not safe if an earthquake takes place. The Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias said Tuesday that the Ministerio de Salud … Continue reading

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Haiti issues a passport to ex-president Aristide

The Haitian government has issued a diplomatic passport for former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who went into exile seven years ago this month following his ouster by armed rebels. Haitian officials Tuesday said the passport has been handed over to Aristide’s … Continue reading

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Visits by two presidents shows Africa-America links

Visits to Senegal this week by Bolivian President Evo Morales and Brazil’s ex-President Luiz Inácio da Silva, highlight what analysts say is Latin America’s growing geopolitical interest in Africa. The cries of “Olé” that pierced the Senegalese air before a … Continue reading

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Homeowner murdered in mountains north of capital

A 54-year-old man who collected guns, clocks and watches died late Monday when someone shot him in the head. Investigators said the scene was the man’s house north of San José off Ruta 32, the San José-Limón highway. The property … Continue reading

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Some city youngsters get free backpacks for new school year

The Municipalidad de San José has handed out 250 backpacks to children in low-income areas in the central canton. School starts Thursday. The backpacks conform to requirements of the Ministerio de Educación Pública. The investment was 5 million colons or … Continue reading

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Judge in shark-finning case defends her decision on docks

The judge who set aside an agreement about the public docks in Puntarenas went public Tuesday to explain the situation. The case involves shark finning. The judge, Rosa Maria Cortes Morales, said that no one ever mentioned anything about illegal … Continue reading

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Fire officials warn of those dry season weed and brush fires

Fire officials have issued a warning about grass fires and said that the higher temperatures and lack of rain in the dry season increase the risk. Already the year the Cuerpo de Bomberos turned out for 592 weed and brush … Continue reading

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Publish names of judges who let crooks off hook

• There should not be a minimum value on stealing, it is wrong and you will spend some time in jail or community service regardless of the amount. • Why do we allow criminals to cover their heads when being … Continue reading

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Deport foreign criminals to clear out courts, jails

My suggestion, which would make a large dent in the number of robberies, violent crimes, etc. is to confiscate the non-citizen criminals’ possessions and deport them, regardless of whether it’s only a first offense, and record the names, information and … Continue reading

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Police should get commissions for every ticket they write

One of the highest crime rates in Costa Rica is drivers who use their vehicles (cars, motor bikes and quadrados) as lethal weapons. The police can reduce these criminal acts by strictly enforcing traffic laws. If the police were given … Continue reading

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Send some cops undercover to provide examples

I believe I’ve suggested some of these before, but here they are again: 1. House-arrest ankle-bracelets. This is a lot cheaper than building new prisons. 2. Undercover crime-traps. Get some under cover cops to pose as typical victims in known … Continue reading

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Florida case illuminates judicial weaknesses here

Florida case illuminates judicial weaknesses here

A man who ran a business in Costa Rica lacked confidence in the court system here so he filed a case in Florida and haled a number of Costa Ricans into civil court there. The man is Craig A. Brand, … Continue reading

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