¢600
www.ticotimes.net Friday, June 1-7, 2012 – San José, Costa Rica
Holy Meeting
Photo by Gregorio Borgia | AFP The Happiness
Of Justo Orozco
By Matt Levin
Tico Times Staff
Justo Orozco only wants you to be happy.
Many times in public he can be seen read-
ing the Bible. He searches the holy book for
means to gladness. Jesus Christ showed him
the way to joy.
Orozco can show you how he found
happiness. Above his desk you can see it for
yourself.
The image hangs in his office inside the
Legislative Assembly, where Orozco is an
evangelical lawmaker. The picture shows
Orozco, his wife and his youngest son. They
pose together as one smiling, happy family.
The former mathematics teacher and
lawyer adores the photo. For him, happiness
is a formula, one that’s as easy as one plus
one equals two: a man, a wife, a child. That
is pure bliss.
The grandfather, with a flat, black top of
hair and gray around his temples, champions
the traditional family. Women should be
mothers. Fathers should support the family.
What if you’re homosexual? Can you be
happy then? Orozco is not so sure.
Tackling Climate Change
In Coastal Communities
By Clayton R. Norman
Tico Times Staff
As the effects of climate change build in
Central America, approximately 10 million
people who live in coastal areas across the
region face an uncertain future.
Central America contributes only about
0.3 percent of world’s annual net carbon
emissions, but widespread poverty, lack of
infrastructure and high concentrations of
Pope Benedict XVI poses with President Laura Chinchilla during a private people in vulnerable areas like coastlines
audience at the Vatican on May 28. The president said the two discussed a mean the region stands to suffer dispropor-
bilateral agreement to define relations between the Vatican and Costa Rica, tionately from the negative effects of global
but a Vatican press release alluded to discussions over Costa Rica’s ban of in climate chaos (TT, March 2).
A new program, Manos a la Costa,
vitro fertilization. See story, Page 3. developed by the Foundation for Peace and
Democracy (Funpadem) and armed with
SUSTAINABLE LIVING BUSINESS WEEKEND
Green Building Hits Central Bank Optimistic Not Your Average
Main Street On the Economy Soccer Moms
Costa Rica is one of the leaders among developing Despite low consumer confidence, the Central A group of ten Boruca women were tired, over-
countries in the construction of “green” buildings, Bank reports this week that the country’s produc- worked and bored. So they started a soccer team
which come in all types, shapes and sizes. Find tion figures are better than expected. That’s good called “Ladies to Respect” and fought their way
out more in our new Sustainable Living section news for the economy. into the local league of their indigenous village in
inside. the south Pacific region.
Page W44 Page 94 Page W14
Since 1956
“I have homosexual friends, many men
and women who have told me that their fam-
ilies suffer because they are like this,” Orozco,
62, told The Tico Times on Tuesday.
Many people share Orozco’s vision of
happiness in Costa Rica. Yet, as Orozco
points out, numerous Costa Ricans do not
share his beliefs. He’s fine with that.
But as of Thursday afternoon, Orozco
could take on a role that sets him apart
from other citizens. If elected by his peers,
Orozco could preside over the Human Rights
Commission in the Costa Rican Congress.
The vote is expected to take place as The Tico
Times goes to point.
Also at press time, the Diversity Move-
ment, an organization that promotes
equal rights, presented a lawsuit before the
Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme
Court saying five of the seven members of
the human rights panel are not qualified to
rule on human rights issues. The Diversity
Movement asked the court to delay the nomi-
nation process, dissolve the current board and
nominate new members for the commission.
An alliance forged between the ruling
Page 54
a €700,000 ($866,000) donation from the
European Union, aims to help vulnerable
coastal communities develop and implement
strategies to mitigate and adapt to the effects
of climate change.
“We have to help [the vulnerable popu-
lations of Central America] build up their
abilities,” said Milena Berrocal, who pre-
sented on climate change and Manos a la
Costa at Funpadem’s San José office on
Wednesday. “Those abilities include learning
how to be less vulnerable to climate change,
how to resolve issues without waiting for the
government to do it, and how to take action
to deal with what will ultimately affect us in
our communities.”
A report by the Economic Commission
Page 74
ALSO INSIDE
Business & Real Classifieds 13-14
Estate 9-10 Puzzles 15
Editorial 11 Weather 15
Letters to the Editor 11-12
Weekend 24 PAGES
Community
Connection W2
Sustainable Living W4-5
Calendar W6
Movies W7
2 | NEWS | THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012

IN THE NEWS

Tico Conquers Mt. Everest

Always a Deal at San José Market
Warner Rojas and the other climbers in his
team made their way down Mt. Everest’s south face
and back to Kathmandu, Nepal, after reaching the
highest point in the world last week.
Rojas, 40, is climbing with the Jagged Globe
expedition company. Last Friday morning, an
update on the company’s website read: “At 0600
on 25 May; David Hamilton, Warner Rojas and Cian
[O’Brolchain] reach the summit of Mount Everest
(8850m). They are accompanied by Mingma and
Thundu Sherpa. It took these guys 9 hours and 45
minutes since leaving camp 4 and they climbed
nearly 1000m in elevation. Warner becomes the
first Costa Rican national to reach the top of the
world.”

Three Local Volcanoes on Alert

The National Emergency Commission (CNE)
on Wednesday declared a preventive “green alert”
due to recent seismic activity at three volcanoes:
Rincón de la Vieja, in the northwestern province
of Guanacaste, Poás, northwest of San José in the Alberto Font | Tico Times Gabe Dinsmoor | Tico Times
province of Alajuela, and Turrialba, in the eastern
province of Cartago.
Turrialba Volcano, 70 kilometers east of the
capital, has seen significant volcanic and seismic
activity in recent months, prompting the National
Seismological Network to upgraded its color threat
level to yellow.
Emissions of gas at Poás Volcano are expected
to increase, and Rincón de la Vieja Volcano also has
seen significant volcanic activity, the CNE noted.
Despite the warning, access to the volcanoes
will remain open to the public, but visitors must
follow guidelines issued at each national park’s
entrance.

Big Tobacco Speaks Out

The British American Tobacco Company is taking
advantage of a time frame for public consultation
to ask for changes to an anti-smoking law adopted
last March.
Felicio Ferraz, the tobacco company’s regional
manager, said that smoking areas should be cre-
ated in establishments and buildings, and current Alberto Font | Tico Times Gabe Dinsmoor | Tico Times
legislation does not specify where people can smoke. Hard Work: Tico Times photographers spent a morning this week checking out the fresh produce at Mercado Borbón in
The company also called for the creation of outdoor downtown San José. Shoppers can find fruits, vegetables and meats at competitive prices. Friendly vendors, who work from
areas for smokers in public places, restaurants and
other businesses. 5 a.m.-7 p.m., say their goods are popular, but many say they barely earn enough to cover expenses.
The public consultation on the new law runs
through June 4, and approval of the final text is
n Contact Us!
expected by June 26.
President Laura Chinchilla signed the “Control Have any ideas for an article you’d like to
of Tobacco and its Harmful Effects on Health Bill” see in The Tico Times? Do you have any
on March 22. The law bans smoking in restaurants, What’s Up Online tips on a story we’re currently working
on? Or know of a hotel, restaurant, etc. we
bars, casinos and other businesses, as well as at air- n Top Stories n Photos: Warner Rojas Conquers the World should review? Let us know! Contact us at:
ports and taxi and bus stands, among other areas. www.ticotimes.net/Contact-Us
Our five most popular stories at
www.ticotimes.net last week: How did Warner n Fishing Forum
Dollar Weakens Against C.R. Colón Rojas celebrate
1. Could the Cocos Island pact happen?
becoming the first
The U.S. dollar has reached its lowest point of 2. More control on bank transfers
Tico to conquer
the year against the Costa Rican colón. 3. Paul Watson: ‘There’s a price on Mt. Everest?
As of noon Thursday, it now costs ₡507 to buy my head’ Costa Rican
a dollar. In addition, the dollar is worth only ₡496. 4. Adios, white legend designers have
The last time the exchange rate reached this 5. The kindest hotel owner in Costa Rica some brilliant
low was mid-December, according to the Central theories. See the
Bank. High interest rates for colones could cause the Visit our website to read all these stories best ones at:
dollar to fall further, an economist told Radio Reloj. for free. Sign up for a The Tico Times www.theticotimes. Show us your catch! Anglers, put your best catch-
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For breaking news updates, see www.ticotimes.net Fishing/Fishing-Forum/Show-Us-Your-Catch.
TICOTIMES.NET

–Tico Times and Other News Sources Visit us at: www.ticotimes.net for these and other online exclusives.
Visit us at www.ticotimes.net for these and other online exclusives.

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 THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012 | NEWS | 3

In Europe, Chinchilla Draws Aid, Investment

By Matt Levin
Tico Times Staff
President Laura Chinchilla concluded
the second half of her two-week tour of
Europe with an easygoing jaunt through
France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the
Vatican.
The purpose of her trip was to strength-
en ties between Costa Rica and Europe and
promote investment. But the heavy lifting of
the journey seemed to take place last week.
Chinchilla’s agenda since last Friday
included a cozy chat with Pope Benedict
XVI, a visit to a Paris museum, where she dis-
cussed Costa Rica’s cultural history, and the
acceptance of a $1.6 million donation from
the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO).
The meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on
Monday generated plenty of press, but the
gathering was quiet and diplomatic. Current
debates in Costa Rica concerning in vitro
fertilization and a possible transition to an
officially secular state played minimal roles
in the conversation.
Chinchilla met with the head of the
Catholic Church “in an atmosphere of cor-
diality, in which the pope expressed his
admiration for the Costa Rican people and
their values of peace as a constant factor of
development, democracy and environmen-
tal protection,” the president said.
Chinchilla thanked the pope for his sup-
port of the country after Hurricane Tomás
in 2010, and also for twice mentioning Costa
Rica in papal addresses that year.
The Holy See and the president briefly
discussed a bilateral agreement designed to
improve ties between Costa Rica and the
Vatican.
She partook in some touristic comforts,
too. Chinchilla went on an outing to the
Quai Branly Museum in Paris last Friday.
Charges Dismissed Against
Ex-Transport Minister
An Atenas criminal court on Tuesday
dismissed manslaughter charges against
former Public Works and Transport
Minister Karla González (2006-2009) in a
case involving a 2007 landslide that killed
14 people in the province of Alajuela,
northwest of San José.
The tragedy occurred Oct. 11, 2007,
in Bajo Cacao, a small town in the canton
of Atenas. Fourteen people died when a
contention wall on a roadway project col-
New Accord? Pope Benedict XVI greets Costa Rica’s President Laura Chinchilla
during a private audience at the Vatican on May 28. Chinchilla thanked the
pope for helping out after 2010’s Hurricane Tomás.
On display at the museum is a pre-Colum-
bian stone, a gift from Costa Rica’s National
Museum.
During the stop in Paris, Chinchilla
arranged a talk with the head of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) to ask the group
to include Costa Rica’s stone spheres of
Diquís, located in the south Pacific, on
its World Heritage List. Jorge Jiménez, an
archeologist and sphere expert, accompa-
nied Chinchilla to the museum and the
meeting with UNESCO Director-General
Irina Bakova.
The World Heritage List includes 936
items, both natural and cultural, that are
charges against two former directors of
the National Roadway Council, Alejandro
Solís and José Chacón, former Atenas
Mayor Wilbert Aguilar, businessmen
Reinaldo Hernández and José Martin
Hernández and engineer Luis Carlos
Gómez. Judge Mario Oconitrillo issued
the ruling.
González resigned her position in
September 2009, following a separate
scandal that occurred when a cable on a
wooden suspension bridge snapped under
the weight of a full school bus, which
fell six meters into the Río Tárcoles near
Turrubares, a canton of San José. Five
people were killed.
Gregorio Borgia | AFP
deemed to have “outstanding universal
value.” Costa Rica has been trying to put the
huge stone spheres on the list for a decade.
Chinchilla asked Bakova for advice on hav-
ing the spheres approved for the list.
Costa Rica hopes to present a proposal
by September and have the stones recog-
nized by next February.
Debt Paid, Loan Announced
On Tuesday, the president received a
surprise in the middle of a press conference
at the Italian-Latin American Institute in
Rome. According to the daily La Nación,
an Italian reporter asked her about the
“biggest problem” between Costa Rica and
Italy – a 25-year-old, $15 million debt
the Central American country owed its
European ally.
The money troubles started in 1985,
when then-President Luis Alberto Monge
received a loan to build a huge dry dock at
Caldera Port, on the central Pacific coast. Due
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to mishandling of the money, the project was
never completed. Lawsuits followed as inter-
est from the loan ran to $30 million. In 1995,
Costa Rica was forced to pay back half of the
money. Italy kept Costa Rica on a blacklist
that discouraged the Italian government from
aiding the Latin America democracy.
Chinchilla deferred the journal-
ist’s question to Foreign Minister Enrique
Castillo, who announced the debt was paid
off. The payments were made in December
2010, a fact Chinchilla admitted she had not
realized.
She heard more positive news in Rome
when the FAO announced a $1.6 million
donation to Costa Rica over the next two
years.
Agriculture and Livestock Minister
Gloria Abraham said the money would
go toward “implementing projects in areas
such as climate-change mitigation in agri-
culture, innovation and technology devel-
opment, and in developing marketing tools
for small producers.”
Additional agenda notes consisted of a
meeting with the president of Enel, Italy’s
largest power company. Paolo Andrea
Colombo told Chinchilla he wants to increase
his organization’s investment in clean energy
in Costa Rica. Enel already has developed
hydroelectric plants and wind-farm sites in
parts of the country.
The European tour ended Wednesday
in Geneva, Switzerland. Chinchilla gave
an address at the annual meeting of the
International Labor Organization, and
spent the following day flying back to
Costa Rica.
During the first leg of the trip, the presi-
dent met with technology sector business
leaders in Paris, conversed about climate
change with German Chancellor Angela
Merkel and President Joachim Guack and
worked on solidifying a partnership agree-
ment between Central America and the EU
(TT, May 25). The deal would allow for the
elimination of tariffs on some products,
among other trade benefits.
On Thursday, Chinchilla took an Iberia
flight from Geneva to Madrid, Spain. After
a brief layover, she and her team took Iberia
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 4 | NEWS | THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012
Coastal Officials Dispute Destruction Order
By Clayton R. Norman
Tico Times Staff
The Talamanca Municipal Council,
which governs the southern Caribbean com-
munities of Puerto Viejo and Cahuita, pre-
sented a letter May 14 to the Comptroller
General challenging the agency’s right to
enforce Costa Rica’s Maritime Zone Law.
In March, the Comptroller General ordered
Talamanca municipal officials to destroy 13
homes and businesses allegedly in violation of
the law, which regulates the 200-meter strip
of land along coasts. Building within the first
50 meters of the median high-tide line is pro-
hibited, and development within the next 150
meters is regulated and administered by local
municipalities (TT, May 4, April 27, 20).
The law was passed in 1977, but has only
been sporadically enforced – particularly in
remote areas like the Talamanca coast, where
communities – originally mostly comprised
of Afro-Caribbean banana workers and fish-
ermen – developed from the beach inland.
No roads reached Puerto Viejo or Cahuita
until the mid-1970s.
Homes and businesses built before the
1977 law should be exempt, but many Puerto
Viejo and Cahuita residents, some who built
before the law and some who built after,
believe they could lose everything.
“We’re fighting,” said Manuel León Salazar,
Talamanca’s municipal property register. “The
municipality is attentive. … The Comptroller
General can make suggestions to the munici-
pality, but it cannot order us.”
Article 3 of Law 6043 (the Maritime
Zone Law), states: “The use and administra-
tion of the maritime zone, the public zone as
well as the restricted zone correspond to the
12163
12816
municipality of the respective jurisdiction.”
Article 4 of the same law states: “The
Attorney General’s office, by itself or repre-
senting any other state entity or interested
party, will exercise legal control over fulfill-
ment of the provisions of this law.”
The Comptroller General, according to
Law 7428, which created the entity, is “a fun-
damental constitutional body of the state, an
aid to the Legislative Assembly in the oversight
of the Finance Ministry, and chancellor of the
system of control provided for by this law.”
Study Points to Shoddy
Work on Border Road
President Laura Chinchilla’s border-
road woes continued to grow this week.
On Wednesday, the president acknowl-
edged mistakes and mismanagement of
the 160-kilometer, $44 million Route 1856
along Río San Juan, which forms the border
with Nicaragua. The president made the
statements from Geneva, Switzerland, on
the last day of a European tour, according a
report by the daily La Nación.
While acknowledging the problems
the road has faced with alleged corruption
by officials, Chinchilla pledged to openly
disclose all details about the project and
insisted work should continue.
“Our intention is to clarify everything,
that everything is out in the public light,
that no doubt remains about our inten-
tions and the procedures that were behind
the construction of the road, and that if it
is necessary to recognize errors or to adjust
procedures, that it is done,” Chinchilla said,
according to La Nación.
Since October 2010, Costa Rica and
Fighting
On: The
Comptroller
General has
ordered 13
properties in
the southern
Caribbean
towns of
Puerto Viejo
and Cahuita
demolished.
Alberto Font | Tico Times
Among the functions of the Comptroller
General outlined in Costa Rica’s Constitution
is approving municipal and autonomous
agency budgets.
Based on this, Talamanca municipal offi-
cials say the Comptroller General is over-
stepping its legal purview by ordering the
demolition of buildings in the area’s mari-
time zone.
They also say that according to the
Maritime Zone Law, municipalities and the
Attorney General have jurisdiction over
Nicaragua have bickered over the border
region along the Río San Juan after Costa
Rica complained about Nicaraguan dredg-
ing of the river. Accusations of environ-
mental damage have flown back and forth
across the river and armed personnel were
sent to the region by both countries (TT,
March 11, 2011).
A January 2011 occupation of Isla
Calero, on the northeastern Caribbean
coast, by Nicaraguan troops prompted
Costa Rica cries of an armed invasion, and
in March of that year, the International
Court of Justice ordered both countries to
remove armed personnel from the area.
Chinchilla declared building the road
to be a national emergency, saying the proj-
ect would bring services and security to
some 2,500 families in the remote border
region of Costa Rica. The emergency decree
allowed the project to be put into high gear
and obviated the legal requirements for
environmental impact studies that other
public works must have before beginning
construction (TT, Feb. 24).
This week, the National Structural
Materials and Models Laboratory
(Lanamme) at the University of Costa Rica
the law’s enforcement, not the Comptroller
General.
If municipal officials are successful
in protesting the Comptroller General’s
involvement in the maritime zone, it doesn’t
necessarily mean the 13 properties initially
indicated as being in violation of the law are
in the clear.
The municipal council’s letter also indi-
cates that council members are directing
Talamanca Mayor Melvin Cordero to study
the cases and to take necessary actions to
assure compliance with the Maritime Zone
Law. That means some properties could still
face demolition.
The Comptroller General’s office
responded to questions from The Tico Times
via email, indicating the office received the
municipality’s response.
“In the council’s response, they indicated
they would present the appropriate authori-
ties questions to determine the competency
of this governing body in [maritime zone
enforcement], a subject the [Comptroller
General] will not address, because this is a
power that this entity has,” wrote Mariela
Azofeifa, a spokeswoman for the Comptroller
General’s office.
“On the other hand,” Azofeifa wrote, “the
same council is ordering the [Talamanca]
mayor to take the necessary actions to attend
to the apparently irregular cases reported by
this governing body.”n
released an analysis of the road’s engineer-
ing, according to La Nación. The analysis
found that shoddy work on the road’s
drainage systems could leave the road in
danger of collapsing during the current
rainy season. Also, the Lanamme analysis
indicated that the threat of collapse would
lead to “a substantial loss of the investment
made up to this point.”
The daily Diario Extra also detailed
some of Lanamme’s findings: The road’s
drainage system is almost collapsed;
15-meter slopes were cut along the sides
of the road; wide road cuts were made to
mountainous areas; clay, not preferable for
construction works, was used; planning and
topographical studies were almost nonexis-
tent; and oversized rocks, which are difficult
to compress, were used.
In its ongoing investigation into mis-
management of the project, La Nación
also revealed this week that the National
Roadway Council secretly spent some ₡6
billion ($12 million) contracting machinery
without going through a public bidding
process to work on the project between
December 2010 and March 2011.
–Clayton R. Norman

Lawmaker: Infertility a Problem of the Rich
3Page 1
National Liberation Party (PLN), the Access
Without Exclusion Party and Costa Rica’s
two evangelical lawmakers, tapped Orozco
for the leadership role on the commis-
sion. The commission decides which human
rights bills will have priority in Congress.
José María Villalta, head of the Broad
Front Party, deemed this commission as ret-
rograde, an instrument drawn up to obstruct
human rights, not promote them.
“It’s a huge step backwards for the Costa
Rican government, which goes around the
world talking about human rights,” Villalta
said. “But they make alliances with the
most reactionary, conservative members of
society.”
He called Orozco’s language homopho-
bic, hateful and discriminatory, and said his
placement on the commission would sets “a
terrible precedent for the country.” Villalta
imagines any forward movement for human
rights would be difficult this year.
He also criticized the makeup of the
entire commission. The group is stacked
with three members of the PLN, in addition
to Orozco of the Costa Rican Renovation
Party. Opposition party members on the
panel include two politicians from the
Citizens Action Party (PAC) and another
from the Libertarian Movement Party.
Carmen Muñoz, a member of the
Human Rights Commission and a PAC
lawmaker, criticized the commission to the
daily La Nación, saying it’s in “bad taste” to
designate Orozco president. She said Orozco
“does not understand human rights.”
Some of Orozco’s strongest words of
support have come from PLN commission
member Jorge Angulo, who remains under
investigation for allegedly demanding kick-
backs from a company building a school
in the Southern Zone. Angulo has faced
several other criminal charges in the past,
and lawmakers removed his congressional
immunity last week to move the extortion
case forward.
Orozco has defended himself amply in
the past week. He has insisted his evangeli-
cal background does not prevent him from
ruling with fairness. One of his repeated
phrases has turned into a pseudo-slogan for
his campaign: “I am Christian. I cannot be a
homophobe.”
On May 17, lawmakers passed a motion
to declare the Legislative Assembly “free of
homophobia.” The proposal passed with a
vote of 28 to 10. Many lawmakers abstained,
but Orozco was one of the 10 members who
opposed it.
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Still, he promises to treat each issue
with care. If a same-sex union bill passes,
Orozco said he would not obstruct it. But he
disagrees with the idea of gay marriage. Last
week, he announced a proposal to change
the Constitution to say marriage is between
a “man and a woman.” (The Constitution
states that marriage is “the essential basis
of a family and rests on the equal rights of
spouses.”)
Orozco said there are approximately 20
bills to discuss in the commission dealing
with issues like children’s and workers’ rights
and same-sex unions, and he plans to bring
each of them to the table for discussion.
“I am used to dealing with problems,”
Orozco said. “I am truthfully a person who
tries to attend to every case. I am not violent
nor do I get angry. And win or lose, I accom-
modate what the majority dictates.”
Many Costa Ricans, however, appear
to want him out of the commission. His
appointment has produced plenty of fury
from diversity movements.
Shirley Alarcón, who has played a major
role in organizing Costa Rica’s LGBT com-
munity, said the situation is an embarrass-
ment. Even as other establishments strive
toward more equal rights for community
members, the government stays as tone deaf
as ever, she said.
“We’re advancing in universities, advanc-
ing in some political institutions, we are
making decrees, we are changing conven-
tions, and then this suddenly happens in the
Legislative Assembly,” Alarcón, 25, said. “It’s
as if to erase everything that we are doing.
12844
Controversial:
Evangelical
lawmaker Justo
Orozco could
preside over
the Legislative
Assembly’s
Human Rights
Commission,
where issues
like same-sex
civil unions
and in vitro are
likely to be hotly
debated.
Alberto Font | Tico Times
You work to go forward and progress, and
it’s like they saw the floor out from under
you.”
The vehemence toward Orozco reached
its brink Wednesday morning. La Nación
hosted a video chat on its website between
Orozco and Ofelia Taitelbaum, the country’s
ombudswoman, a role defined by defending
citizens from government infringement on
constitutional rights.
In the hour-long chat, Orozco waltzed
from one controversial remark about equal-
ity to another. He stated the “the primary
role of a woman is to be a mom and to have
children. It gives meaning to life.”
He carped that gays here should not
complain since they have more freedom
than in most countries. Orozco punctuated
the latter observation by calling Costa Rica a
“second Jerusalem,” adding that, “Here flows
the milk and honey.”
Ex-Candidate Accused of
Ghost Payroll
Board members from the Costa Rican
Social Security System, or Caja, this week
accused former lawmaker and ex-presidential
candidate Walter Muñoz of allegedly receiv-
ing ₡23 million ($46,000) in consulting fees
from the public health agency between 2002-
2004 without performing any work.
Caja officials called for an investigation
and are seeking to recover the funds, plus
₡15 million ($30,000) in interest. Officials
said they found evidence the payments were
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His comments infuriated viewers on
social networks. Countless onlookers were
mystified that someone espousing his opin-
ions could lead a human rights commis-
sion. One Costa Rican started a petition
on Change.org pleading with lawmakers
“to remove Orozco from president of the
Human Rights Commission.” In less than
36 hours, the petition has more than 5,500
signatures.
Taitelbaum, for her part, attacked
Orozco’s ideals. She challenged him to make
LGBT and in vitro issues priorities in the
commission. Orozco said he opposes legal-
izing in vitro fertilization for economic
reasons. He told La Nación this week that
infertility mostly affects “the rich,” and
largely spares the poor. “God makes things
perfectly,” he said.
He also said same-sex couples should
not be able to have children because it
could harm kids’ development. At one point
during the video chat, Orozco spoke of
the traditional family. In response, as if
intending to shred the snapshot above his
desk, Taitelbaum delivered some of the most
pointed words of the conversation.
“Don Justo,” Taitelbaum said, “that defi-
nition of family that you talk of no longer
exists.”
Orozco remains firm on his position.
This is basic mathematics, a subject he taught
for 42 years. In math, the solutions are nei-
ther ambiguous nor debatable. Orozco has
chosen his answers. Others might choose a
different path. Two parallel lines will go on
forever without ever crossing.
But he believes his way is the only answer.
On his path, every mother will have a hus-
band, and every father will have a wife. On his
side, AIDS is still spoken of as a gay disease.
Orozco feels blessed in his contentment.
He wants the same for the rest of Costa
Rica. He can summarize his philosophy on
human rights without difficulty: “I want for
everyone to be happy.”n
made, but there is apparently no record of
duties or functions carried out by Muñoz.
Caja President Ileana Balmaceda
said officials also filed a complaint to the
Prosecutor’s Office claiming Muñoz failed
to pay mandated insurance premiums to
the Caja.
Muñoz is a former presidential candidate
for the now-defunct National Integration
Party, having sought the presidency in 1998,
2002 and 2006. He now heads the National
Association of the Insured, a group that is
pushing for a referendum on how Caja board
members are appointed.
–Tico Times
After
 6 | NEWS | THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012

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Breeder: Cockfighting is ‘God’s Will’
Courtesy of SENASA
Cruel ‘Sport’: A bloodied rooster shows the consequences of cockfighting in
Costa Rica. All roosters seized from cockfights are euthanized, since they could
carry foreign-borne illnesses and are difficult to rehabilitate.
By Matt Levin
Tico Times Staff
Ninety years ago, Costa Rica banned
cockfighting because government officials
here considered it cruel and abusive. While
the practice remains legal in some Latin
American countries, here, cockfighting stayed
underground, with little debate, until now.
On May 14, a full-page ad by the Fighting
Cock Breeders Association appeared in the
daily La Nación, signaling that the battle to
legalize the activity lived on.
The group claims to have 5,000 mem-
bers and thousands more supporters. The
publication stated Costa Rica has banned,
since 1922, a tradition that dates back to the
biblical voyagers on Noah’s Ark.
A spokesman for the group said cock-
fighting should be legal for religious, moral
and biological reasons, and he believes
advocates have enough support to force
Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly to bring
the issue to the table. Alexander Pinto,
media representative for the breeders, said
the group is working on a bill to legalize the
activity.
“They want to break traditions, but we are
a very large part of the country,” Pinto said.
“And we have rights. They can’t stop us.”
So far, the decision by members of the
organization to raise their voices seems only
Courtesy of Public Security Ministry
Animal Health Service (SENASA), said the
cockfighting “crackdown” is nothing new
for his organization. SENASA has worked
with the Public Security Ministry to break
cockfighting rings since 2006.
Police conduct about a dozen raids a
year, Van der Lucht said. The current cam-
paigns, he said, receive more attention since
the press started covering the issue more,
a result of the publication of the Fighting
Cock Breeders Association’s ad.
The extra notice also has resulted in
more residents calling to report cockfight-
ing, he said. SENASA provides a hotline to
denounce the illegal activity at 2279-9007.
Van der Lucht said he does not believe
the figures Pinto cites about the popularity
of cockfighting here, such as the estimate
that “20 percent of the country” participates
in the activity.
The SENASA legal rep said Costa Rica
has a network of concentrated cockfighting
zones. He mentioned the cities of Cartago,
east of San José, Alajuela, northwest of the
capital, San Carlos, in the Northern Zone
and Puntarenas, in the central Pacific.
Van der Lucht is encouraged by more
information coming in about cockfight-
ing. But he laments that SENASA does not
have more authority: The country’s animal
cruelty law only permits police to break up
and confiscate abused animals. Officials can
prized boxers. He refers to the best ones as
powerful red roosters in “admirable physi-
cal condition.”
Images of roosters before a fight highlight
the unspoken nastiness. Breeders often cut off
the comb (the red fleshy growth on a rooster’s
head) and the wattle (similar growth on the
neck) before fights to prevent opposing roost-
ers from attacking those body parts.
The breeders’ association discourages
attaching artificial spurs or knives to a
rooster’s leg, weapons that can easily gut
combatants. However, photos from raids
showed that police have confiscated knife
extensions from cockfights.
Pinto said he stands for a tradition that
is “natural.” Roosters want to fight. They
do not clash because they’re forced to, but
because biologically it’s what the birds are
wired to do, he said.
Pinto’s speech takes on an air of gran-
deur when he discusses cockfighting’s histo-
ry. The tradition goes back ages, and impor-
tant historical figures like Spanish conquis-
tador Hernán Cortés and U.S. President
George Washington enjoyed fighting cocks,
Pinto said, as did ex-Costa Rican presidents
Juan Rafael Mora Porras and José María
Castro Madriz.
Pinto wants “equality” for his organiza-
tion, and respect. The sport he loves is being
outcast. His country is changing. He won-
ders why gays and lesbians deserve equal
opportunities but not cockfighting fans.
Pinto is baffled by this.
“What is this outrage? How can they
want to do that?” he asked.
When a reporter suggested that gay
rights and cockfighting are two unrelated
issues, Pinto disagreed.
“Not in regards to morals. Not when it
comes to respecting God,” he said.
This beckoned another question: God
likes cockfighting?
“Yes, of course he likes the cockfights.
He made them. If he didn’t like them, he
wouldn’t have made them.”
Then, Pinto wanted to express a thought.
This statement, Pinto said, had not yet been
brought up to TV stations or other newspa-
pers.
“To destroy chickens, like SENASA does,
is against the will of God,” he said.
SENASA officials will admit they have
listened to this condemnation before. Well,
they’ve never heard anyone describe what
they do as being “against the will of God.”
But they’ve taken criticism. Detractors
have questioned why the roosters must be
euthanized once a cockfighting group is
busted.

0%
to have brought on more reports of cock- demolish cockfighting rings, but perpetra- “It’s a critique that we hear from people

5O
fighting rings and subsequent crackdowns.
Politicians scoffed at the idea that the group
could ever convince lawmakers to discuss a
bill legalizing the practice.
ff
In April, public pressure forced Daniel
Cubero of the Libertarian Movement Party
to withdraw his name from a list of candi-
U punishments could go a long way to deter-
WHEN YO AD dates seeking the assembly’s presidency after
TH IS
PRESENT he publicly admitted that he viewed cock-
Any Cigar/
fighting as a family tradition.
e
Merchandis
Legislators expressed doubt that any
elected official would risk supporting a bill
Purchase
in a country fixated with animal rights.
tors do not face fines or jail time under the
current law.
Chaves and Van der Lucht both noted
legislators are discussing an amendment to
the Animal Welfare Law, including adding
prison sentences for animal abuse. Harsher
ring cockfighting fans, who view the activ-
ity as entertainment and an opportunity to
gamble, they said.
Pinto said attendees each place bets
from $2 to $10, while breeders wager around
50,000 ($100) on a match. Each bout has
who don’t know the reasons,” Van der Lucht
said. “SENASA doesn’t like this. We don’t
like to kill the animals, but it’s the only
option we have.”
The primary reason for euthanasia is
that some of the birds participating in
fights arrived to the country illegally. Van
der Lucht said roosters come from coun-
tries such as Panama, Nicaragua and the
Dominican Republic, and could carry dis-
eases that don’t exist in Costa Rica and
might affect poultry bred here.
His other point was that Costa Rica

up to $100
“No sitting lawmaker is going to support
a bill [to legalize cockfighting], and if one
used
Cannot be does, it will go very poorly,” said Rita Chaves,
er offer
with any oth
of the Access without Exclusion Party and
the assembly’s secretary.
Police are tightening their grip on
Centro Comercial Cortijo, cockfighting rings since the ad appeared. In
the past week, raids occurred in southern
Local #6, Los Laureles, Escazú San José suburb of Desamparados and the
Tel: 2588-2913 Caribbean slope town of Pococí.
www.9n.cr
Antonio Van der Lucht, director of
legal issues for the government’s National
0083
its own referee. Opposing roosters must
have the same weight.
Pinto claims in 70 percent of fights
both participating gamecocks live. He said
SENASA officials are the murderers, because
they euthanize confiscated chickens.
Still, fights are a bloody affair. The
12-minute brawls might not kill every los-
ing chicken, but Van der Lucht said each
battle intends to go “to the death.”
Pinto shows respect when talking about
the feathered fighters, comparing them to
does not have the infrastructure to take
care of the confiscated animals. Since the
roosters are bred to be aggressive, it’s dif-
ficult to rehabilitate them. An injection by a
veterinarian destroys the roosters recovered
from a bust.
To cockfighting breeders, this undigni-
fied death is the cruelest measure of all.
“We’re not going to take it anymore,”
Pinto said. “The authorities of SENASA
don’t have an argument. They are killing ani-

mals. This indignation has motivated us.”n


Tackling Climate Change On the Coast
3Page 1
for Latin America and the Caribbean released
in March indicates that by the end of this
century, average temperatures will increase
between 2.4 and 4 degrees Celsius across
the region, affecting agricultural production
and rainfall patterns. Some areas, like Costa
Rica’s northwestern Guanacaste region, will
become hotter and dryer, while the southern
Caribbean coast will see receive much more
rain, the study found.
The frequency of hurricanes and tropical
storms is expected to increase some 5 to 10
percent across Central America by the end of
the century. In 2009, some 700,000 Central
Americans were affected by flooding, and
that number is expected to increase in com-
ing years.
In coastal areas, Berrocal said, increas-
ing temperatures and rising ocean levels
will negatively affect mangroves and coral
reefs, which serve as protective barriers to
coastal communities.
Mangroves and coral reefs are also cru-
cial habitats for marine life – commercially
important fish species reproduce and grow
in mangroves, and reefs are hotspots of
marine biodiversity.
Small-scale fishermen in vulnerable
Groups Turn to Court to Stop Shrimp Trawling
By Clayton R. Norman
Tico Times Staff
Six nongovernmental organizations filed
a motion before the Constitutional Chamber
of the Supreme Court (Sala IV) to try to
force the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute
(Incopesca) to prohibit trawling by fishing
fleets in Costa Rican waters.
“Researchers and specialists unanimously
agree on the destruction of marine biodi-
versity caused by trawling,” said Erick Ross,
spokesman for the Front for Our Oceans, an
alliance of 10 NGOs dedicated to marine con-
servation. “Scraping the ocean floor of living
and nonliving resources reduces food sources
for many species. It removes great quantities
of sediment, alters the structure and equilib-
rium of ecosystems and gravely compromises
their capacity for regeneration.”
Organizations that signed the motion are
the Program for the Restoration of Marine
Turtles (Pretoma), MarViva Foundation,
Costa Rican Sportfishing Federation,
Promar Foundation, International Student
Volunteers and the Leatherback Trust.
In the motion, organizations asked the
Sala IV to order Incopesca to prohibit the
Since 2002
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coastal communities depend on local fish-
eries, which need reefs and mangroves to
regenerate populations. When these areas
go, people who depend on them will be left
without resources to feed their families. The
Manos a la Costa program is targeting these
communities, Berrocal said.
Ten communities across the region have
been selected to participate in the program,
including Barra del Colorado, a Caribbean
use of trawling nets on all fishing boats and
to stop issuing or renewing trawling licenses
until the institute has shown sufficient data
proving the sustainability of shrimp fisheries
and Incopesca’s effective control over trawl-
ing activity.
“Scientific studies, [both] national and
foreign, demonstrate that shrimp fishing via
trawling nets is a detrimental activity that
can cause environmental damage that is dif-
ficult or impossible to repair,” said Pretoma
President Randall Arauz, a member of the
umbrella environmental group. “They report
elevated percentages of bycatch, that is, [the
nets] capture species that are not the object
of the fishermen, which goes against the sus-
tainability of hydro-biological resources and
the food security of the country.”
Shrimp fisheries are some of the most
overexploited in Costa Rica. Annual shrimp
catches declined by more than 50 percent,
from around 1,500 tons in 1997 to approxi-
mately 700 tons in 2007.
U.S. officials recently lifted a three-year
ban on imports of Costa Rican shrimp (TT,
May 25). The embargo was levied against
Costa Rica in 2009, when U.S. inspectors
found that Incopesca was not effectively
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Alto de Las Palomas, old road to Santa Ana
Tel: (506) 2203 0701
www.ringleresort.com
12846
More Floods:
Climate experts
say Central
American com-
munities should
prepare for
extensive flood-
ing from stron-
ger and more
frequent storms
caused by global
climate change.
Mayela López | AFP
coastal fishing village, and Tortuguero, also
located on the northeastern coast of Costa
Rica. Other sites were selected in Nicaragua,
Guatemala, El Salvador and Panama.
“We’ve working with populations that
rely on agricultural economies or small-scale
fishing,” Berrocal said, “as well as tourism
and communities near important ecosys-
tems. … These communities depend on
resources from those ecosystems to survive.”
sanctioning shrimp trawlers that did not use
turtle excluder devices (TEDs) on their nets.
U.S. law requires any boat exporting shrimp
to U.S. markets to use TEDs to prevent sea-
turtle bycatch.
Local environmental groups allege that
trawling violates different environmental
laws in Costa Rica.
“The technique of trawling destroys the
THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012 | NEWS | 7
The program is still in its initial phase,
explained Cecilia Cortés, executive director
of Funpadem. To date, communities have
been selected and scientists from the National
Biodiversity Institute are analyzing the eco-
systems and potential climate-change threats
specific to each community. When complete,
those studies will be the basis for community-
developed plans of action.
“These action plans are going to focus
on mitigation or adaptation,” said Cortés.
“Once community members decide on
actions and the type of plan they are going
to implement, the program has a fund of
€700,000 that is going to be destined to
finance small donations to enact the plans.”
José Luis Martínez, business representa-
tive for the EU’s delegation to Costa Rica, said
community-focused programs like Manos a
la Costa have a better shot at becoming sus-
tainable, long-term projects because of com-
munity involvement.
“Every project that comes from outside
[a community] is going to encounter a lot of
difficulties in getting local residents to iden-
tify with it,” Martínez said.
Martínez said EU aid to Central America
from 2007-2013 will total more than $990
million, with about $148 million earmarked
for environmental initiatives.n
Too Many
Boats?
Conservation
groups asked
a court to ban
new shrimp
trawling licenses
in Costa Rican
waters.
Courtesy Mar Viva
ocean floor, contaminates water with excess
sediment and extracts practically the totality
of species of flora and fauna in its path, vio-
lating the constitutional right to a healthy
and ecologically balanced environment; by
doing so, it endangers the food security
of present and future generations,” said
Viviana Gutiérrez, a spokeswoman for the
umbrella group.n
8 | REGION | THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012

Official: El Salvador ‘Not Falling Apart’

By Larry Luxner
Special To The Tico Times
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The top adviser
to President Mauricio Funes of El Salvador
says his boss was sworn into office in an
atmosphere of violence and economic
despair – but that with three years down and
two to go, El Salvador’s 6.1 million people
finally have a leader who gets it.
“When we came to power, the govern-
ment was practically in bankruptcy. We
had enough money only for two months’
salary,” said Alexander Segovia, speaking
May 18 at the Council of the Americas in
Washington. “We knew we would be gov-
erning in the midst of capitalism’s deepest
crisis in 80 years. We had to be realistic.”
The Oxford-trained economist said it
was ironic that before the March 2009 elec-
tion in which Funes – running on the leftist
FMLN ticket – defeated Rodrigo Ávila of
the right-wing ARENA party, his detractors
repeatedly accused Funes of being a com-
munist who would distance El Salvador
from the United States.
“The opposition warned that if a left-
ist government came to power, we’d have
absolute chaos, that capital would fly out
of the country, that we’d do crazy things,”
he recalled. “But we were always clear
that this was going to be a safe and secure
change. After three years, all these percep-
tions have been shown to be unfounded.
We had a democratic transition, we’ve
started a new era, and we’ve laid the
foundations to get out of this historic
quagmire. We now know the country isn’t
going to fall apart.”
José Cabezas | AFP
New Hope? A member of El Salvador’s 18th Street gang holds his son during a
May 2 visit at the Quezaltepeque Prison, 25 km west of San Salvador. In May,
members of the gang announced a truce with rival gangs and promised to stop
recruiting children.
On the contrary, said Segovia, the Funes 2 percent growth projected for this year.
government inherently understands that But that’s a whole lot better than 2009, he
private investment is key for generating said, when the economy contracted by 3.1
employment and boosting El Salvador’s percent.
sluggish economy. In 2011, gross domestic “El Salvador had the lowest level of
product grew by only 1.5 percent, with growth in Central America despite all the
reforms,” said Segovia. “We have pretty
much tried everything there is to do. We’ve
opened the economy and we’ve signed
free trade agreements, but we still have an
economy that does not grow at the rate it
cially extortion. A big company can deal
with crime; they can hire security firms.
But small companies have a harder time.
Fortunately, the scenario has changed com-
pletely. This initiative by the church began
with a lot of skepticism, but it’s now an
opportunity we have to take advantage of.
This is something we could not have imag-
ined only four or five months ago.”
El Salvador registered 255 murders in
March, 147 in April and 76 in the first 15
days of May. That’s down 60 percent from
the first months of 2012.
Great news, Segovia said, “but what
happens when the gangs decide they don’t
want the ceasefire anymore? We have a great
opportunity we haven’t had before. The
church has said there’s a social dimension
underlying the violence, so let’s try to see if
we can build a state policy around security
and crime, which we haven’t had before. If
society makes a commitment and starts to
build programs to deal with youths at risk,
we’ll start to have solutions.”
Even so, Segovia admitted that his
government would not be able to elimi-
nate the gangs without bringing down El
Salvador’s notoriously high youth-unem-
ployment rate.
“There are lots of doubts, of course, if
this ceasefire is sustainable. But the truth is,
we’re already seeing some results,” he said.
“A lot of people believed you had to have
an iron-fist policy, going after criminals and
repressing crime. But the issue of crime and
security is very complex and has a number
of facets. Everyone realizes that simplistic
analyses about the origin of crime are not
working. We’re starting to understand the
issue in all its complexity.”
Segovia assured his audience that the
Funes government wouldn’t let its guard
down when it comes to organized crime
and drug trafficking.

ish to congratulate needs to grow. We’re in a vicious cycle, and “We’ll continue to go after these groups,

w the
if we don’t get out of that cycle, any govern- but what we need is a national agreement

ou
y ity on its Independen U.S
ment will be very fragile. We must generate on employment, because if we have enough
jobs, we’ll shut off the faucet of all the
o
a process of high, sustainable growth. That’s

D mun ce D . going to be our primary challenge over the

next 24 months.”
m Or let U.S. citizens living ay The Funes government’s other big
co ? headache is violent crime. Last year, El
and vacationing in Costa Rica Salvador’s homicide rate exceeded 70 per
100,000 inhabitants, or about 18 killings a
know about your product or service? day – second in the world only to neigh-
boring Honduras. Last month, the country
The best way is by advertising in the marked its first murder-free day since Funes
was sworn into office nearly three years
Official 4th of july picnic Program, earlier.
The reason: In early March, El Salvador’s
prepared each year by The Tico Times for distribution at the two most violent gangs – Barrio 18 and the
4th of July Picnic organized by the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) – agreed to stop
American Colony Committee. The killing each other’s members. They also
vowed to suspend attacks on police officers
Program is also distributed to all of and military forces, and to no longer recruit
our readers inside and outside new members at schools.
Costa Rica with our June 29 edition. Segovia denied media reports that the
Funes government had cut a deal with the
Don’t miss the chance gangs, 30 of whose leaders were immedi-
to join the celebration! ately transferred from maximum-security
prisons to a common prison following the
announcement of the truce.
Advertising Deadline: June 8 “The government has not made any
Publication Date: June 29 agreements and will not make any agree-
ments with gangs,” he said. “What we have
Contact your Sales Executive Tel. 2258-1558 done is facilitate the dialogue that the
email: display@ticotimes.net Catholic Church is involved in, because we
s
young people who get into these activities
because they don’t have opportunities,” he
said. “We have to show results now. We can’t
wait 24 months.”
In answer to a question posed by The
Tico Times, the presidential adviser disput-
ed suggestions that El Salvador has seen a
gradual militarization of its security forces.
“We don’t agree with that thesis,” he
said. “The constitution is not being vio-
lated, and we don’t see this as militarization.
The constitution gives an exceptional role
to accompany police in security situations.
We found a country in crisis when we came
in. The investment we made in police was
just so that they could have minimum con-
ditions to do their work. They were without
vehicles, radio and food. It was a police force
completely without resources; the criminals
were riding in 4x4s and policemen were on
bicycles. We can’t continue that way.”
Segovia added: “People sometimes for-
get that before the peace accords [which
ended El Salvador’s long-running civil war
in 1992], police had chiefs from the mili-
tary and nobody said anything back then.
Now, the police forces in El Salvador are no
longer infiltrated by organized crime. The
military did take over for a little while in

1 page FC ¢485,000 1 page BN ¢332,500 think this is very important. We are saving this process, but how else do you compete
te

300 lives a month, so that alone means it’s with organized crime? Unlike our neigh-
1/2 page FC ¢253,000 1/2 page BN ¢174,000
Ra

worth the effort.”
1/4 page FC ¢133,100 1/4 page BN ¢91,800 The drop in violence has also been good
for business, he said.
“Our biggest obstacles to growth have
been low productivity and insecurity, espe-
boring countries, it’s very clear that our
national civilian police are not infiltrated by
organized crime, though our police do need
to be strengthened institutionally, and that’s
a challenge for the future.”n
 CENTRAL AMERICA’S LEADING ENGLISH-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

A R T | C U LT U R E | E N T E R TA I N M E N T | J une 1 – 7 , 2 0 1 2

Boruca Mothers Find Solace in Soccer

By Sydney Boles
Special to The Tico Times

T
he 10 indigenous women stand in a
tight circle, their heads bowed togeth-
er as strategies bounce among them.
Their faces, which show the first creases of
aging, express a mix of determination and
excitement – they have been preparing for
this for a while. With a final, unified cry, the
women dart onto the soccer field, take their
places and the game begins.
In the indigenous village of Boruca, in the
south Pacific region, the life of a housewife
can be monotonous. But about three years
ago, 10 stay-at-home moms founded a soc-
cer team to compete in the local league. They
call themselves “Soréˇ ca rócj,” which means
“Ladies to Respect.”
“I like to play for exercise,” says player
Marisol Espinoza. “I also like it because we
can teach our children that there are other
ways to have fun and make friends besides
going to the bars.”
Damaris Gonzáles laughs. “I do it because
there’ s nothing else to do.”
Everywhere in Costa Rica, women put
up with blatant and seemingly ubiquitious
machismo. They are expected to marry, to
stay at home with their children and to have
dinner steaming on the table when their hus-
bands come home. But indigenous women
have an even harder life. Their list of chores is
far longer, and they are generally poorer than
their non-indigenous counterparts. Supplies
are limited. Every day is a battle to scrape a life
together, even as a much more appealing life
is broadcast on the TV.
It’s better than it used to be. “Women used
to be slaves here,” says Margarita Morales,
Damaris’ mother and leader of a women’s
micro-loan group called the Association of
the Flower of Boruca. “They had to watch
their children die of hunger and they’d still
be forced to have more babies – 12, 18, 20.”
Today, thanks to the community’s cultural
and financial revival, women have a much
easier life than they used to. There is running
water, electricity, even Internet access. Food is
available at several pulperías, or corner stores,
and a vegetable cart comes around every two
weeks. But that doesn’t mean housewives
have it easy.
Señora Gonzáles makes her living weaving
yarn into traditional patterns on a traditional
loom. She rises at dawn, cooks breakfast for
her husband and two children and begins
to work. The loom is little more than a col-
lection of sticks held taut by old, hay-baling
cord, but Gonzales wields the contraption
with ease, yanking the warp strings high as
she passes the shuttle back and forth across
them. It is the sort of work that can make a
person cross-eyed, and it goes on for hours.
Her teammate and sister-in-law, Señora
Espinoza, is not native to Boruca; she mar-
ried into the community and has been living
there for 15 years. She still misses her old life
of friends, roller-skating and movies. But the
indigenous community was quick to accept
her, as was the soccer team, and Espinoza lives
just the way everyone else does. Like the shut-
tle crossing back and forth across the strings
of Gonzales’ loom, Espinoza treks small cir-
cles between her little home, the pulpería and
the thatched-roof rancho, where the extended
family cooks and relaxes together.
Except, that is, on soccer nights. The
events begin in the afternoon, with the highly
anticipated men’s games. The concrete field
is crowded with spectators and the tension is
¡Goooool!
Damaris
Gonzáles plays
soccer, top, visits
a lagoon with her
daugher, Nana,
right, weaves, left.
Photos courtesy
of Sydney Boles
palpable. In a life as calm and unchanging
as life in Boruca, soccer is a chance to let off
steam, compete and exercise.
The soccer field is the biggest building
in the village, dwarfing the church that came
before it. When the league first began, teams
played on grass, in the dark, in the rain and
in the heat. But when people started to realize
what a good thing soccer was for the com-
munity, they fundraised for the building they
have now. Much of the money came from the
donations of Father Manuel Mora Picado,
the local priest, the Costa Rican Electricity
Institute and other companies. The ten-team
league now plays on concrete, with electric
lighting, goal posts and a net around the field
to keep the ball contained.
The housewives’ team, Ladies to Respect,
plays late, and very few people stay to watch
the game. A great crowd leaves the building as
the last men’s game finishes and the women
prepare to play. Nevertheless, Espinoza and
Gonzales are nervous hours before it’s time
to go. They cook dinner in their uniforms
and chatter anxiously. “I get nervous before
every game no matter how many times I
play,” Espinoza says. “I don’t want to let my
team down.”
The audience is mostly women and chil-
dren: The mothers have placed their toddlers
in the care of older siblings, and the older sib-
lings have pacified the youngsters with lolli-
pops and potato chips. The players, pulling
self-consciously at their uniform shorts, take
their positions. And finally, the game begins.
The Soréˇ ca rócj are playing against
a team of much younger women, most of
whom don’t have children and therefore have
reached this late hour with much more ener-
gy. Plus, as Espinoza says unapologetically of
her team, “we’re all fat.” Quickly, the other
team pulls ahead, but the housewives aren’t
concerned. They laugh and joke about their
inability to score on the younger women.
It took these 10 women a lot of time and
effort to get where they are today. From com-
bating sexism to staying awake late enough
to compete, to selling hundreds of tamales
to pay for uniforms, their fight to play soccer
was immense. They are still missing one uni-
form, and anyone with interest in donating
one can call Margarita at 2730-5397.
“The most important thing,” says Espino-
za, “is that we’re really bad at soccer, but we’re
still happy to play. We never fight, never
blame anyone. We just love the game.”n

INSIDE
Brazilians Sweep Ping Feasting at Tacobar in New Arts Center for Beloved Theater
Pong Tourney Santa Ana The Lincoln School Reopens in San José

Page W24 Page W34 Page W34 Page W84

W2 | WEEKEND | THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012
Community
Flamingo/Potrero News
Potrero-based community development
initiative Abriendo Mentes is starting a sum-
mer matching marathon. Now through July,
every donation of up to $5,000 made to
the local school will be matched. Abriendo
Mentes empowers rural Costa Rican com-
munities by providing educational, techno-
logical and social programs for those who
need them most. The initiative offers four
innovative programs to youth and adults of
Playa Potrero Costa Rica: youth develop-
ment, adult education, women’s empower-
ment and a technology center. The ultimate
goal of Abriendo Mentes is to equip each
community member with the knowledge and
resources needed to achieve a better standard
of living and promote economic stability.
Visit www.abriendomentes.org for info.
Our sincerest condolences go to Dennis
Schmeidge, who has returned to Canada to
be with his son, Kirk. Diagnosed with esoph-
ageal cancer 10 months ago, Kirk valiantly
fought the disease but succumbed on his 41st
birthday. Friends and family were present to
memorialize his life.
Gold Coast Learning Center, a Keystone
Flex Academy in Costa Rica, is hosting its
2012 graduation class at Beach Community
Church on May 31, at 9 a.m. Congrats to all
the seniors. We all wish you the best!
Ristorante Pizzeria, TUBLA, has been
opened at the Flamingo-based López Com-
mercial Center. It features a covered patio
with seating, a pizza oven and a service bar.
The owner, Daniele Antonioli, had been
located at 7th Heaven in Brasilito before
moving to Flamingo. The hours of operation
are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for lunch and 4-10 p.m.
(or 11 p.m., depending on the number of
people) Mon.-Sat. For more info or to place
orders, call 2654-4085.
–Babe Hopkins
tbabehopkins@gmail.com
Arenal Report
Nuevo Arenal recently was graced with
a visit from English royalty. Expat David
Fountaine and his wife, Ruth, hosted his
Excellency, the Earl of Eastbourne (NVQ),
and Lady Vivian of Lewes, Duchess of East-
bourne. Celebrating their first visit to Costa
Rica, the royal couple expressed their amaze-
ment at the environmental diversity and
natural beauty of the country.
Lady Vivian observed, “Those cheeky
monkeys that start woofing to each other at
half-four in the morning alter one’s sleeping
schedule a bit. We did miss our Devonshire
cream, however we found the spotted rooster
dish interesting. We were advised of another
local favorite oddly called chicken of the tree,
but had to demur. Our Costa Rican adven-
ture provided us with many experiences
never to be found in our home country, and
we anticipate with enthusiasm a return go.”
To say that the grand opening of Toad
Hall was an event to remember would be
a large understatement. People came from
miles around, some on horseback, to attend
the celebration, which also marked owner
Jeff Van Mills’ 50th birthday. The free,
open-to-all fiesta, which included strolling
mariachis, great food, unlimited sangrias and
potent mojitos, attested to the profound gen-
erosity of Jeff and his wife, Lydia. They even
provided bus service for revelers to ensure a
safe trip home. One challenge they faced was
Community Connection welcomes reports from readers about happenings in their area of Costa Rica. Send reports and/or photos to Weekend Editor Ashley Harrell at aharrell@ticotimes.net.
slicing the cake for nearly 200 guests to enjoy
a piece. A huge thanks to the Van Mills for a
truly remarkable evening at Toad Hall.
–William & Jean Priest
jean_pri@msn.com
Sarapiquí Stories
Georgina’s Butterfly Garden was a recipi-
ent of a small project donation from the
United Nations Development Program’s Cin-
chona Project. If you are in San Miguel de
Sarapiquí, stop by and enjoy a fresh, home-
made pumpkin ice cream and visit the rustic
butterfly garden, open Mon.-Sun. 8-4 p.m.
–Gloria Oliu
gosarapiqui@gmail.com
Binoculars and Birds
The Birding Club of Costa Rica (BCCR)
invites members and prospective birders to
the “Basics of Birding, an informal intro-
ductory course by birding guide Patrick
O’Donnell on Saturday, June 9, on a private
finca near Ciudad Colón. Plan on an early-
bird start, with coffee and muffins at 6 a.m.
The course starts promptly at 6:30 a.m. Bird-
watching techniques will be practiced on
toucans, trogons and other local species.”
A gourmet breakfast is your reward for
getting up early. The BCCR annual meeting
will be held afterward, when members will
discuss trips and ideas for birding outings.
Bring a notepad, binoculars and good walk-
ing shoes or boots. Cost for the course and
breakfast is $20. Please reserve with Lyn Stat-
ten by June 3 at lynfred@racsa.co.cr.
–Dorothy MacKinnon
jennifer@kidssavingtherainforest.org
Jacó Happenings
At last month’s Central Pacific Women’s
Group meeting, Environment Ministry vol-
unteer Raúl Fernández talked about his non-
profit, which helps bring volunteers to the
wildlife refuge in Playa Hermosa. Raúl also
brought coffee samples from his grandfa-
ther’s farm, Finca Rica Coffee. Raúl is a tour
guide at the Refugio in Playa Hermosa and
he takes people on tours of the family cof-
fee farm in the Palmares/San Ramón area. If
you are interested in a tour or buying coffee,
contact Raúl at costaricacoffee@gmail.com
or call him at 8817-0385. For more about his
endeavors, visit www.costaricaallgreen.com.
The next CPWG meeting on June 20 will
feature indigenous art from the Amazon and
adventure stories from biologist Joost Wilms
of Dantica Gallery.
Opera Salvaje Swim Club offers swim-
ming lessons for kids and adults and aqua
aerobics on Calle Hermosa. People can
purchase monthly pool memberships and
also participate in private or group classes.
For more info, visit www.osswim.com, email
o.s.swimming@gmail.com or call 8628-3911.
Last month in Dominical, local surfers
Carlos Muñoz, Anthony Fillingim, Jair
Pérez and Danny Bishko put on stellar
performances. Now the fifth leg of the
National Surfing Circuit is set for June
16-17 at Jacó Beach. This is sure to be a
contest not to be missed. For more, visit
www.surfingcr.net. Also, later in the month
is Cabinas Las Olas’s 7th Annual Solstice
Expression Session Surf Contest and Beach
Clean Up. The event will be held in Playa
Hermosa June 21-23. To sign up, contact
Connection
Score: Caroline Kumahara, women’s champion at the Latin America Table
Tennis Cup in San José on Sunday.
lasolascr@hotmail.com or call 2643-7021.   2697-0505; gnalcr@ice.co.cr. Dr. Morales:
Lastly, if you are looking for someone to
repair furniture or design something special,
Berny Andre from La Casa de la Tapicería is
available to repair sofas, chairs, cushions and
more. For more, call 8747-1248.
The Central Pacific Chamber of Com-
merce will hold its annual meeting (open to
the public) June 26 at 7 p.m. at Hotel Balcón
Del Mar in Jacó. Come support your com-
munity in Jacó Beach!
–Christina Truitt
christina_truitt@yahoo.com
Coco Capsule
T.S. Eliot said that for many, April is the
cruelest month. But for me it was more than
cruel. In addition to my required 72 hours
out of the country, I was running short on
passport space, and I also needed a Riteve
inspection and major dental work. Somehow
it all turned out fine. First, I avoided hav-
ing to go to San José by combining the visa
trip and need for passport pages by going
to Managua, Nicaragua, where I’d reserved
a room at the Hotel Mozonte. I was safely
located close to the embassy, and my hotel
served excellent meals and provided bilingual
service. I’d left my aged car at ServiMart, the
only local shop with emission control testing,
for a pre-Riteve checkup and needed repairs.
I picked it up on the way home and easily
passed the annual check the following week.
The final, and frankly most feared of the
month’s realities, was going to the dentist.
With several recommendations in hand, I
made an appointment with Dr. Daianna
Morales, who recently opened a practice
here. Within a week, the most painful parts
of the procedures were complete. The sur-
prise was that there was no pain other than
a couple of needle jabs, and I was able to go
about my business for the rest of the day.
While there is some work still to be done,
thanks to some planning and to some excel-
lent professionals, all went much better than
expected and April was not so cruel.
Hotel Mozonte: www.hotelmozonte.
com; +(505) 8965-0855 (in Nicaragua). Ser-
viMart: Sardinal Road just past Congo Trail;
Gabe Dinsmoor | Tico Times
Coco Boulevard at Ocatal Road; 2670-1234;
dmoralesq@gmail.com.
–Kent Carthey
kcarthey@aol.com
Costa Ballena Bulletin
Heads Up! On June 24, there will be
a cyclists meeting in Dominical that will
launch the security campaign CUIDENOS.
There will be freebees and information for
drivers on safe road practices to protect
cyclists in Costa Rica. Costa Ballena is a
beautiful cycling area. Our first group of
Canadian cyclists spent a week in the South-
ern Zone last February and will return in
December. Stay tuned for more information
next week and check your tire pressure.
–Shawnell Parker
cbshawnell@gmail.com
Tamarindo Talk
Looking to revive The Village in front of
Country Day School, chef Julie Carrozzi has
opened the new Café Maison de Madeleine.
She loves to cook and draws on experience
in New York, Florida and Nashville for her
meals. Julie also has a personal chef and
catering service. For more info, see www.mai-
sondemadeleine.com or call 8517-2822.
SER Om Shanti is featuring a master
yoga class today from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Practice
will be led by international yoga teachers
Hali and Kevin. The class costs $20. Namaste.
A new bar called Monkeys & Midgets is
set to open June 22 with the ironic tagline,
“The worst bar in Tamarindo.” It will be
located on the main road next to Sunrise
Condominiums. For a job interview in Eng-
lish, call 8559-9317; in Spanish, 8704-1685.
The municipality of Santa Cruz has
opened an office in Tamarindo. It is located
on the third floor of the Sea Tower, just
above Super Compro. The office will address
needs previously handled in Santa Cruz.
Romeritos in the Garden Plaza, where
Auto Mercado is located, has closed. It seems
that the commercial center just cannot sus-
tain a restaurant. How many does that make?    
–Ellen Zoe Golden
ellenzoe@aol.com

A Not-So-Tico Twist on Tacos in Santa Ana
T
he recently
opened Taco-
bar on the
Belén Road in Santa
Ana, southwest of San
José, is not really a bar
at all. Nor does it dish
out the kind of tacos
Ann Antikiw that you’d expect at
a restaurant in Costa
Rica. In fact, this family restaurant serves up
tasty, healthy fare, and its killer fish tacos have
a flavor that’s completely their own.
Housed in a semi-circular building with
a bamboo roof and floor to ceiling glass win-
Tacobar
2 2 2 2 2
$ $ $ $ $ the counter who took our order should have
2 = acceptable; 22 = good; 222 = very good;
2222 = excellent; 22222 = exceptional. $ =
average price of meal under $5; $$ = $5-10; $$$ = $10-20; $$$$ =
$20-30; $$$$$ over $30.
Location: 600 meters north of the Cruz Roja, opposite Mas X
Menos, Santa Ana.
Hours: Tues.-Sun., 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Mon., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Contact: 2282-7863
New Arts Center for Lincoln School in Heredia
By Hannah J. Ryan
Tico Times Staff
I
t’s the opening performance for the Lin-
coln School’s sixth-grade presentation,
“The Bears,” and six students in oversized
teddy bear costumes run about the stage, belt-
ing out lines to an audience of peers.
They have good reason for their excite-
ment. The stage they are performing on
opened this semester as part of the new
Lincoln Auditorium and Center for the Fine
and Performing Arts. Also, the students are
completely in charge of the production.
For a month, students in Mr. Bowers’
class have been writing, designing, direct-
ing, rehearsing and balancing the lights and
sound for their 20-minute play. The excite-
ment that surrounds the new center and the
performances it houses have some former
students jealous. “This theater kicks butt,”
says Alexandra Feliciano, 19, who graduated
last year. “We used to practice in the back of
the cafeteria.”
Home for summer break from college in
Orlando, Florida, in the United States where
she studies theater, Feliciano is helping with
some of the school’s productions.
“Everyone now is taking art so much
more seriously here,” she says. “And did you
see the art rooms? It’s the kind of stuff you
find in a university.”
The center not only contains a new the-
ater and art rooms, but also band and choir
rooms, soundproof practice rooms and a
dance studio. Its construction is the third
and final phase of the Lincoln School’s reno-
vated campus in Heredia.
Downstairs in the art rooms, Valeria
Pinto, 15, is participating in a critique with
other ninth-grade students. Addressing a
wire sculpture of a frog giving the pura vida
thumbs up, she says, “It’s like an interpreta-
tion of a human as a frog.”
Pinto says she has noticed that many stu-
12913
THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012 | WEEKEND | W3
dows, Tacobar is surrounded by a deck with
patio furniture. Inside, apart from the regular
simple tables and chairs, the swing seating
at the high wooden counters offers a swing-
Seared to
while-you-eat experience for anybody with Perfection:
a strong stomach. Patrons line up to order
and pay at the counter, and cooked-to-order The tuna
meals are then delivered on large platters,
leaving room for an excellent variety of salads steak comes
offered at the all-you-can-eat salad bar. This
comes with the fish tacos and other main
with avocado,
courses such as burritos, sandwiches, chicken, ginger,
steak and tuna plates. Potatoes cooked in
tempting different ways, pizza, appetizers and vegetables and
side orders do not come with the salad bar,
but may be ordered separately. soy sauce.
Our well-presented meals arrived at dif-
ferent intervals, which we found somewhat
Vicky Longland | Tico Times
disconcerting. Maybe this was because we
all paid individually, but the young lady at with light, crispy batter. The tuna steak was and drinks. The tangy lemonade laced with
outstanding, lightly seared to perfection. The fresh ginger and mint is delicious and highly
made a note for the kitchen that we were a fish tacos were served on thin flour tortillas recommended. The dessert menu is limited,
group and wanted to be served together. I’m piled with mahi mahi, snapper, shrimp and but the ice cream and brownie selection,
sure this will be remedied in the future by the calamari. All were dressed with herbs, peanut which is enormous, will send many a choco-
impressive management team. General Man- or hot spicy sauce. Depending on your appe- holic into a food coma.
ager Jose Tortós, and Administrator Jonathon tite, you can order one, two or three tacos, Tacobar offers a variety of choices ₡2,000-
Montenegro, run a hands-on operation in this and they are not rolled like traditional tacos, 4,000 ($4-8), plus a $3 daily special. There’s a
trendy, popular family restaurant that seems but are freshly cooked and very tasty. Main second Tacobar in Jacó, and the Israeli-U.S.
to be buzzing morning, noon and night. courses range from ₡2,500-6,000 ($5-12). owners are opening another locale in Trejos
We had no complaints about the food. Tacobar serves no alcoholic beverages, but Montealegre, San Rafael de Escazú, south-
The fish and chips dish was served piping hot there is a large selection of fruit smoothies west of San José.n
dents who never cared about art and music
are suddenly paying more attention in cre-
ative classes. That’s part of the goal for Lin-
coln School Cultural Director Sandra Mora,
who was instrumental in the development of
the center. Mora also is looking forward to
sharing the center with general public, which
can use it for fundraisers, performances and
cultural events, she says.
Lincoln School General Director Jack
Bimrose likes the multifaceted education
that the center can bolster. “Not only are we
educating the head, we are educating the
heart and soul,” he says.
“The arts speak to a different part of our
human experience and we want to prepare
the whole child.”
The Tico Times was founded in 1956 by stu-
dents of the Lincoln School. Teaching assistant
and veteran U.S. newswoman Elisabeth (Betty) Gabe Dinsmoor | Tico Times
Dyer oversaw the creation of a student-run, Show Bears: Camila Jenkins prepares for a rehearsal in the new auditorium at
weekly paper for the English-speaking public,
which evolved into The Tico Times of today. the Lincoln School in Heredia.
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 W4 | SUSTAINABLE LIVING | THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012
Creating With Nature: Green Building Basics
By Steve Mack
Tico Times Staff
F or local architect Rodrigo Carazo, green
building means simply “adapting to our
natural surroundings without damaging
or destroying it,” through a “constant process
of learning, adapting and experimenting.”
To Alberto Negrini, an architect and pro-
fessor of environmental design, green build-
ing is a process of “relearning to live with
nature.” He believes that true environmental
design must spring from the surrounding
nature and culture. The final objective of
environmental design, he said at a recent
symposium at the National University, “is
achieving happiness arising from people liv-
ing in harmony with their environment.”
Roberto Meza, an engineer specializing
in certifying green buildings, aims even high-
er, positing that green building and design
should not only avoid harming the environ-
ment, but also should actively work to restore
and improve it: “We have to move from caus-
ing less harm to doing more good.”
Where all agree is that there is no estab-
lished path to building sustainably; creativi-
ty, innovation and cooperation among those
involved in a project, rather than following
established formulas, are most important
for achieving good results. Designers also
agree that while green building seeks ambi-
tious ends, it’s simpler than it sounds, often
involving applying common sense or redis-
covering traditional approaches to living
with the environment.
In addition, because each building is in
a different setting and responds to the needs
of different inhabitants, none should be
exactly alike. All green designers and build-
ers also stress that green building, if done
right, can be less expensive in both the short
and long term.
At minimum, experts say, green buildings
should strive to minimize the use of energy
in both the construction and operation of
buildings, use other resources such as water
rationally, avoid the use of toxic materials
and otherwise cause reduced impacts on the
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zines, this house in Osa, designed by architect Mario Carazo, meets many criteria
for green building. The house, while less expensive than a typical government-built
home for low-income families, is much more spacious and comfortable, fits the Osa’s
hot, wet climate perfectly and uses mostly local and reutilized materials.
environment. Improving existing buildings to
make them more environmentally friendly is
also an important element of green building.
Form and Function
While the use of environmentally friend-
ly building materials and devices to save
water and energy are part of green build-
ing, most experts say that more important
are basic design elements that don’t require
added investment or gadgetry. In a tropical
climate, eliminating or reducing the need
for air conditioning (often more than 60
percent of a building’s energy costs) is one
of the most important goals, most easily
achieved by ensuring cross-ventilation and
minimizing exposure to sunlight.
In Costa Rica’s Central Valley, for exam-
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ple, this could entail creating a long and
narrow building along an east-west axis, so
that prevailing north-easterly winds ven-
tilate all of the rooms, while the building,
because of its orientation, would receive
little direct morning or afternoon sun. Wide
eaves, porches, awnings and the planting of
shade trees serve the same function of pre-
venting sunlight from heating the interior of
a building. High ceilings, with ventilation in
the roof and near the tops of the walls, can
also make for cooler interiors.
In a very hot and wet climate, houses can
be built on stilts to increase air circulation and
reduce exposure to moisture. Conversely, a
house in a hot, dry climate can be built close
to the ground with thick walls, in order to use
and conserve the coolness of the earth.
Green architects and builders are quick
to point out that these features are elements
of traditional construction in Costa Rica and
around the world, showing that green design
is nothing new, although much of it has been
forgotten for a time.
Green Building Materials
While perhaps less crucial than basic
design, the choice of building materials is
very important in determining the ecological
and aesthetic impact of a building. Following
are some of the more popular options for
green building in Costa Rica:
• Wood. In Costa Rica, the use of wood
in construction is undergoing a rebirth. Once
among the most common building materials,
the use of wood dropped off steeply over the
past decades as reinforced concrete became
the norm, while supplies of native wood
dried up because of indiscriminate harvest-
ing, waste and destruction of forests.
More recently, builders, architects and –
more importantly – their clients, have redis-
covered the beauty, usefulness and practical-
ity of wood. Meanwhile, thinking among
many environmentalists regarding the wide-
spread use of wood as a building material
has taken a sharp turn; once seen as a threat
to forests and biodiversity, it is now more
likely to be perceived as a potent element in
the fight against climate change because of
wood’s ability to trap carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere in long-lasting buildings,
furniture and other goods.
However, assuring the supply of wood
for construction without threatening natu-
ral forests and wildlife is still a challenge.
While reforestation is helping meet growing
demand, Costa Rica must import wood to
meet demand, mostly from South America.
Where the provenance of wood is unknown,
the use of certified wood is recommended by
green building experts to ensure that it has
been grown and harvested with due regard
for the environment.
• Bamboo. Most of what holds true for
wood is doubly true for bamboo. Once wide-
ly used by traditional cultures in the Ameri-
cas and elsewhere, the impressive qualities
and beauty of bamboo as a building material
are being rediscovered and widely applied by
green architects and builders (TT, Sept. 30,
2011). Moreover, because bamboo, which
is a grass, not a tree, grows very quickly, it
is even more effective as a buffer against
climate change than wood, while produc-
tion can be more easily increased to meet
demand. Like wood, bamboo must be prop-
erly selected, treated and utilized to avoid rot
or damage by insects.
• Concrete. Because the process of mak-
ing concrete is energy-intensive, releases large
amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmo-
sphere and also requires large-scale mining
of rocks and minerals, the massive use of this
material in construction – now the norm – is
highly damaging to the environment. Howev-
er, because of its low cost, strength and versa-
tility, very few architects or builders would be
willing to renounce its use altogether. In fact,

Keeping Score with Certification of Green Buildings
T o many architects and builders, the
question of what constitutes a “green
building” is an open one, which
depends on factors such as the conditions
of the site, climate, local customs, personal
taste, available budget and a multitude of
other considerations. However, others are
in the business of defining exactly what a
green building is, and of putting their stamp
of approval on them.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) certification, for example,
examines a long list of factors, and then,
based on the compliance of the building with
these requirements, denies or issues a certifi-
cation. Depending on the number of points
of compliance, the building can receive cer-
tification on one of four levels: Basic LEED
certification, Silver, Gold or Platinum.
LEED, developed in the United States by
the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council,
pioneered third-party, independent certifi-
cation for green buildings in the U.S. and
now has been applied in 137 countries,
including Costa Rica.
According to Roberto Meza, an engineer
who works with LEED certification, there
are now seven LEED-certified buildings in
Costa Rica, while another 27 projects are
pending. Other green certification programs
How to Construct in Harmony with the Earth
most green buildings use concrete to a great-
er or lesser degree. Minimizing its use, how-
ever, is a goal most green designers share.
The cement industry worldwide has
responded to criticism by making a signifi-
cant effort to reduce carbon emissions and
improve mining practices. (Holcim, a leading
cement manufacturer, houses its local offices
in an impressive green building in Alajuela.)
However, despite significant progress,
even including the marketing of “green”
cement, the process of making concrete,
as even its advocates admit, is inherently
polluting. That the industry has invested
so much effort and money in improving
its image and processes, however, is a good
indication that the green building movement
is here to stay.
• Earth. In hot climates, one strategy for
green, low-energy building is to create more
massive structures that will retain nighttime
coolness throughout the day. Traditionally,
adobe and stone structures in Latin America
filled this role. While concrete block has
largely taken the place of these materials, it
does not retain coolness to the same degree,
and is environmentally unfriendly in com-
parison. As an alternative, green designers
and engineers have created building systems
using blocks made of compacted earth, bags
filled with soil, and variations on traditional
adobe or earthen structures.
• Foam. A similar strategy of building
to retain coolness, but in lightweight form,
is represented by systems using styrofoam,
usually based on a metal frame or mesh and
coated with sprayed-on cement. These sys-
tems are extremely efficient in maintaining
temperatures. According to Diego Estrada,
general manager of Panelco, a Costa Rican
manufacturer of such systems, living in a
home built with foam is like “living in an
ice chest.” They are also versatile and inex-
pensive compared to many other building
methods. However, one common criticism
12661
is that styrofoam, once manufactured, is dif-
also exist, including BREEAM, developed in
the United Kingdom, and a new initiative
being developed in Costa Rica specifically
for Central America, called Requisites for
Sustainable Buildings in the Tropics, or
RESET (TT, May 12).
The reasons for certifying a green build-
ing are many, and can include:
•Marketing to environmentally con-
scious buyers or renters;
•Using the certification requirements as
a guide for green building;
•In the case of corporations, as public
relations and cost savings, or as part of
a defined Corporate Social Responsibility
policy;
•In the case of government buildings in
some countries, as a legal requisite and an
example;
•International development banks (such
as the World Bank) are providing financing
through local banks in Costa Rica and other
countries on favorable terms for certified
green buildings;
•Finally, that the builder is willing to sub-
mit the building to an independent, highly
detailed technical review is a sign of serious-
ness, and achieving certification a sign of
good design and quality construction.
LEED looks at the following issues,
ficult to dispose of, and will last for hundreds
of years beyond the probable life span of the
building.
• Metal. While the manufacture of steel
and aluminum is energy-and resource-in-
tensive and polluting, the judicious use of
these materials to build lightweight struc-
tures – ideal for a mild climate like Costa
Rica’s – saves a great deal of energy and
resources compared with traditional con-
crete construction. These buildings often
incorporate broad expanses of glass, along
with panels of wood, fiber-cement or other
materials.
• Reutilized and recycled materials. A
basic tenet of sustainable building is to reuse
or recycle materials whenever possible. Thus,
wood, brick, stone, windows and doors from
older structures are salvaged and reused, and
new products made from recycled materials,
such as steel and aluminum, also are used.
Another basic precept is to use local materi-
als wherever possible, to avoid the added cost
and pollution incurred by shipping.
Vegetarian, Organic Downtown San José,
Gluten Free Menu Calle 11, Ave. 6-8
12549
THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012 | SUSTAINABLE LIVING | W5
among others, and awards points based on
compliance with a list of technical consider-
ations under each heading.
•The site of the building. Buildings that
take advantage of existing infrastructure,
control erosion and runoff, have access to
public transportation and do not waste
green space receive a higher rating;
•Water efficiency, achieved through
landscaping and water-saving appliances
and plumbing fixtures;
•Energy efficiency, achieved by build-
ing design and construction, smart appli-
ances, and sometimes, on-site generation of
energy;
•Use of sustainable building materials
and minimizing waste and use of natural
resources; here, the impact of the building
on CO2 in the atmosphere is taken into
account;
•Design. LEED recognizes smart design,
and assigns extra credit for design innova-
tion.
RESET, which is in the final stages of
development, is meant to be more attuned
to building in a tropical, developing country
than LEED and other certification systems,
which were created in wealthy countries with
temperate climates. According to Huberth
Méndez, executive director of the Foundation
Water and Energy
Saving water, while less critical in rainy
Costa Rica than other parts of the world, is
still important, and will become more so
if Costa Rica, as predicted, becomes hot-
ter and drier as a result of climate change
(TT, Aug. 12, 2011). Elements of green
building that could contribute to saving
water include systems to collect and use
rainwater for household use and irrigation,
reusing of water from sinks, baths and wash-
ing machines for irrigation (to this end,
using biodegradable soaps and detergents
is very important), as well as conservation
measures such as reduced-flow nozzles in
sinks and showers and double-flush toilets.
Landscaping with native plants accustomed
to the cycle of dry and rainy seasons requires
less or no irrigation.
Many options for saving – and produc-
ing – energy for homes and other buildings
exist, and will be the topic of next month’s
Sustainable Living section.n
sustainable@ticotimes.net
for Urban Development, and a member of
the committee of the Costa Rican Construc-
tion Chamber, which is designing RESET, the
new certification system gives comparatively
more weight to the choice of a site, building
design and water use, and less to energy use,
which is much more important in a climate
that has extremes of hot and cold than in a
tropical one like Costa Rica’s.
Méndez also thinks that certification with
RESET will be less expensive (Roberto Meza
estimates that LEED certification can cost
between $2,250 and $27,500, depending on
the size and complexity of the building or
project, although he stresses that savings in
energy and water use, as well as construc-
tion costs, usually easily pay for the costs of
certification).
Although Meza believes that RESET is
not strictly necessary – he thinks that LEED
certification is sufficiently flexible as well as
time-tested – he applauds the initiative as
one that will lead to increased conscious-
ness about sustainable building design in
Costa Rica, and more green buildings as a
result.
“The points [counted for certification]
are not the point,” he says, “The point is
more and better sustainable buildings.”n
–Steve Mack
Green Building Resources
Architects/Designers
Mario Carazo: www.carazoarquitectos.com
Bruno Stagno: www.brunostagno.info
Pietro Stagno and Luz Letelier:
www.luzdepiedra.com
Adrián Bonilla: bambooosiris@gmail.com
Building Materials
Eco Materiales: www.ecomaterialescr.com
Green Center: www.greencentercr.com
Green Pages Directory: www.paginasverdescr.com
Pura Verde Directory: www.pura-verde.com
Green Building Certification
LEED:
Roberto Meza, Sphera Consultants:
www.sphera-sbc.com
Costa Rica Green Building Council:
www.costaricagbc.org
RESET:
Herberth Méndez, FUDEU: hmendezh@fudeu.org
Alexandra Rodríguez, INTECO:
arodriguez@inteco.or.cr
W6 | WEEKEND | THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012
*New this week. Theater performances are in Spanish unless otherwise specified. E-mail Calendar submissions to aharrell@ticotimes.net by 11 a.m. Monday, five days prior to publication.
FRIDAY
Now Technique Workshop: classes in balancing
perception and releasing pain and trauma, June 1, 4
p.m., June 2, 10 a.m., Vista Atenas B&B, Atenas, Ala-
juela, northwest of San José, contact Suzanne Mark at
2455-0164 or suzanne@thenowtechnique.com.
For more info, visit thenowtechnique.com.
National Symphony Orchestra concerts: guest
conductor John Nelson and guest soloist Rachel Barton
perform Mozart’s Idomeneco ballet music, Violin Con-
certo in D Major (Brahms) and Symphony No. 7 in D
minor (Dvorak, ), June 1, 8 p.m., June 3, 10:30 a.m.,
National Theater, Av. 2, Ca. 3/5, 2221-5341, www.
teatronacional.go.cr.
*Moonlight Dub: June 1, 10 p.m., Jazz Café San
Pedro, next to Banco Popular, 2253-8933, www.
jazzcafecostarica.com.
*Cocofunka: funk, rock, fusion, June 1, 10 p.m., Jazz
Café Escazú, opposite CIMA Hospital, 2288-4740,
www.jazzcafecostarica.com.
SATURDAY
Enamorate de tu ciudad: arts, cultural and edu-
cational shows and classes, urban sports, handicraft
exhibits, food, chess tables, Saturdays, through Dec.
1, 10 a.m., Parque España, Parque Morazán, Jardín de *Street Theater with Circus Canijo: two young
Paz and Parque La Merced. www.facebook.com/
enamoratedetuciudad.
Annual Meeting of the Birding Club of Costa
Rica: gourmet breakfast, introductory birding course
and discussion of next year’s birding trips, $20, June
9, 6 a.m., reserve your space with Lyn Statten by June
3 at lynfred@racsa.co.cr.
Embody Awareness Workshop: classes in gentle
and deep yoga, June 8, 4 p.m., June 9, 10 a.m., Vista
Atenas B&B, Atenas, Alajuela, northwest of San José,
contact Suzanne Mark at 2455-0164 or suzanne@
thenowtechnique.com. For more info, visit thenow-
technique.com.
*2012 Tropic Bowl II: American football, Cartago
Dragons vs. New England All Stars (from the U.S. city
of Boston), June 9, 11 a.m., La Lima Field, Cartago,
8768-6671.
Caribbean Film Festival: a touring exhibition of
films from Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic,
Jamaica and France, every Thursday until June 17, 6
p.m., Gómez Miralles room at the Costa Rican Center
of Film Production.
*Educating for the 21st Century: a week-long
course for educators involving teaching methods,
leadership, technology, pura vida day and more, June
25-30, University for Peace, Ciudad Colón, west of San
José, for more info, call 2205-9000 or email info@
upeace.org.
Soccer Games: Costa Rica vs. El Salvador, June 8, 8
Look for Calendar updates online
throughout the week, as well as a list of
clubs and organizations, religious services
and classes, at:
www.ticotimes.net/Weekend/
Events-Calendar
Calendar
Courtesy of the National Symphony Orchestra
Violin soloist Rachel Barton per-
forms at 8 p.m. Friday and 10:30
a.m. Sunday in National Symphony
Orchestra concerts at the National
Theater.
clowns perform juggling feats while simultaneously
raising awareness about societal problems, June 2, 2
p.m., Costa Rica vs. Mexico, Sept. 7, 8 p.m., Costa Rica
vs. Guyana, Oct. 16, 8 p.m., National Stadium, www.
specialticket.net.
Presidential Papagayo Cup: second annual sport-
fishing tournament, June 6-9, Marina Papagayo on the
Papagayo Peninsula in Guanacaste, for more info, email
sam@preschallenge.com or joan@preschal-
lenge.com.
2012 Fiesta Cup Gold Tournament: annual charity
golf tournament, June 7-9, 9 a.m., various events at
Fiesta Casino, Alajuela, and Valle Del Sol Golf Course,
for more info, contact Nick at 8877-8808 or nac4cr@
gmail.com.
Workshop Retreat: self-discovery, personal develop-
ment and empowerment in the rain forest by the ocean,
July 14-22, Guaria de Osa Ecolodge, Osa Peninsula, for
info and registration contact Valerie Sheppard at val-
erie@heartoflivingvibrantly.com.
Hash House Harriers: runs every Thursday in
different locations around or near San José, hosted
by “the beer drinking club with a running problem,”
5:15 p.m., more info: www.costaricahhh.com/
receding-hairline.
*“Como animales”: an exhibition of 17 Diego Garcia
paintings addressing gender issues and the rejection
of same-sex unions, through June 10, Mon.-Fri 8:30
a.m.-5 p.m., Genesis Graphics, Calle 13 between Aveni-
das 12 and 14 in downtown San José.
“focus”: selection of paintings, works on paper,
objects, videos and installations from Otto Apuy,
through June 15, Hidden Garden Art Gallery, airport
exhibit, through July 20, Daniel Oduber International
Airport, Liberia, for more information contact Hidden
Garden Art Gallery, 8386-6872, 8386-6968.
*“Deconstruction/Reconstruction”: exhibition
by Charlsie Kelly with watercolors and paper-mache
masks sculpted on bases of recycled materials,
through June 20, Sophia Wannamaker Gallery, Centro
Ricardo Saprissa Stadium, San Juan de Tibás, San
José, tickets at www.specialticket.net.
p.m., Lemon Station, opposite the House of Culture
Siquirres in central San José.
“The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs”: (In
English) Mike Daisy’s infamous monologue reworked by Little Theater Group: annual general meeting with
Little Theater Group, June 1-3, Fri.-Sa. 7:30 p.m., Su., potluck bocas from attending members and a new board
2:30 p.m., Teatro Laurence Olivier, Av 2, Calle 28, next of directors will be chosen, 6:30 p.m., June 4, Teatro
to Sala Garbo, for reservations call 8858-1446 or visit Laurence Olivier, Ave. 2, Calle 28, next to Sala Garbo,
www.littletheatergroup.org. San José, more info at 8858-1446 or www.littlethe-
atregroup.org.
*Las Tortugas: classic rock, June 2, 10 p.m., Jazz
Café San Pedro, next to Banco Popular, 2253-8933, Auditions for “Crazy Quilt”: tryouts for five short
www.jazzcafecostarica.com. plays exploring extraordinary interactions between ordi-
nary people, open to members and non-members with
*Charlene Stewart, Banda SD, David Tucker:
all levels of experience (must be fluent in English), June
soul, blues, gospel, June 2, 10 p.m., Jazz Café Escazú,
12 and June 14 6-9 p.m. at the Teatro Laurence Olivier,
opposite CIMA Hospital, 2288-4740, www.jazzcafe-
Ave. 2, Calle 28, next to Sala Garbo, San José, more
costarica.com.
info at 8858-1446 or www.littletheatregroup.org.
“Divorciadas, evangélicas y vegetarianas”:
SUNDAY
Comedy, Thurs.-Sun., 8 p.m., Teatro Torres, Av. 8, Ca.
*Hike: 15-kilometer, five-hour hike in the mountains 11/13, 2256-4295.
of Cartago, bus departs at 6:30 a.m., June 3, from
“Dos arriba y una abajo”: Comedy, Fri.-Sun., 8
400 meters south of CCSS, Ecologicas Educativa
p.m., Teatro Arlequín, Ca. 15, Av. 2/6, 2221-5485.
Shkuk, call 8306-6354 or 2223-3186 for more infor-
mation, or visit https://sites.google.com/site/ “Las monjas también la pulsean”: Comedy, Fri.-
caminatasshkuk. Sun., 8 p.m., Teatro Sancheto, Ca. 13, Av. 6/8.
*Enrique Bunbury: the Spanish rock hero performs “Papichulo”: Comedy, Fri.-Sun., 8 p.m., Teatro
June 3, 9 p.m., Palacio de los Deportes, Heredia, north Molière, Ca. 13, Av. 2/4, 2222-5281.
of San José. Tix at publitickets.com., more info at
www.enriquebunbury.com. “¡Qué zambrote!”: Comedy, presented by Masque-
Dos, Sat.-Sun., 8 p.m., Teatro Centenario, Curridabat,
200 m east, 100 m south of EPA, 2271-0909.
Cultural, Sabana Park, San José, for more info visit “Sexolorrisas”: Comedy, Fri.-Sun., 8 p.m., Teatro
www.charlsiekelly.com. Chaplin, Av. 10, Ca. 11/12, 2221-0812.
*“Josephine 2.0”: a reflection on diversity, local- “Taxiando por un sueño”: Comedy, Fri.-Sun., 8
ity, belonging and corporate identity, through June 22, p.m., Teatro La Esquina, Av. 1, Ca. 21, 2257-0223.
Tues.-Sat. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Contemporary Art and
“Made in Tikicia”: Comedy, Thurs.-Sun., 8 p.m.,
Design Museum, Av. 3, Ca. 15/17, 2257-9370, www.
Teatro Urbano, Av. 2, across from Plaza de la Democra-
madc.ac.cr.
cia, 2255-0522, 8821-3884.
“Arte Diverso”: a first-of-its-kind exhibit of 32 pieces
in woodcut, oil, textiles and carvings by indigenous
people from Térraba, Rey Curre and Boruca, Tues.-Sun.,
9 a.m.-4 p.m., runs through June 20, Costa Rican Art
Museum, east of La Sabana Park, 2256-1281, www.
“Esqueleto con Sombrero”: A 30-minute interactive
musarco.go.cr.
play with Santi the skeleton, through June, Wed.-Fri.
“Mangroves and Beyond”: six wooden sculptures 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Sat.-Sun. 11:30 a.m., 12:30
by Tony Jiménez, through July 20, Daniel Oduber Inter- p.m., and 3 p.m., Children’s Museum, north end of Ca.
national Airport, Liberia, for more inforamtion contact 4, 2258-4929, www.museocr.com.
Hidden Garden Art Gallery, 8386-6872, 8386-6968.
*“Forging Suns and Treasuring Churches”:
an solo exhibition of Zulay Soto, opens June 7, runs
through October 1, Costa Rican Art Museum, La Sabana
Park in central San José.
*Ricardo Arjona: Babyface Metamorphosis World Tour,
Aug. 18, Ricardo Saprissa Stadium, San Juan de Tibás,
San José, tickets at www.specialticket.net.
*National Symphony Orchestra concerts: guest
director Irwin Hoffman and guest soloists Mauricio
Paéz (bassoon), Jose Aurelio Castillo (violin), Jorge
Rodriguez (oboe), Álvaro González (cello) performing
Beethoven (Leonora), Haydn (Sinfonía Concertante)
and Prokofiev (Symphony No.5), Aug. 24, 8 p.m., Aug.
26, 10:30 a.m., National Theater, Av. 2, Ca. 3/5, 2221-
5341, www.teatronacional.go.cr. Courtesy of Charlsie Kelly
Vincente Fernández: “My Farewell,” the king of An exhibition by Charlsie Kelly
ranchera music ends his performing career with this with watercolors, paper-mache
masks and more is displayed at
show, August 23, National Stadium, 2206-7770,
www.laboleteria.co.cr.
the Sophia Wannamaker Gallery
in La Sabana through June 20.
*Serrat & Sabina: Titanic Orchestra, Nov. 21,

*New this week. In general, movies in English have Spanish subtitles, animated and children’s movies are dubbed in Spanish with no subtitles, and foreign-language films have Spanish subtitles.
Note: Showtimes are subject to change. Theaters that fail to send us their schedules by deadline may not be listed.
SHOWTIMES
CCM Alajuela, Mall Internacional, Alajuela,
2442-6100, www.ccmcinemas.com
Men In Black III: 3-D, subtitled, 2, 4:20, 6:40, 9:15
p.m.; subtitled, 12:20 p.m., (Sa-Su), 2:20, 4:40, 7,
9:20 p.m.
Snow White and The Huntsman: 1, 3:40, 6:20,
9 p.m.
The Avengers: Dubbed, noon, (Sa-Su), 3, 6, 9 p.m.
CCM Cariari, Plaza Real, Ciudad Cariari,
Heredia, 2293-3300, www.ccmcinemas.com
Men In Black III: 11 a.m., noon, (Sa-Su), 1:20, 2:20,
3:40, 4:40, 6, 7, 8:20, 9:20 p.m.
Snow White and The Huntsman: noon, (Sa-Su) 1,
2:40, 3:40, 5:20, 6:20, 8, 9 p.m.
The Avengers: Dubbed, 12:15 p.m. (Sa-Su), 3:15,
6:10, 9:05 p.m.
The Raven: 2:20, 4:40, 7, 9:20 p.m.
CCM Heredia, Paseo de las Flores Mall,
Heredia, 2237-6263, www.ccmcinemas.com
Men In Black III: subtitled, 11:30 a.m. (Sa-Su),
1:50, 4:10, 6:30, 8:50 p.m.; 3-D, Dubbed, noon,
(Sa-Su), 2:20, 4:40, 7, 9:20 p.m.
Snow White and The Huntsman: 10:40, 11:40 a.m.
(Sa-Su), 1:20, 2:20, 4, 5, 6:40, 7:40, 9:20 p.m.
The Avengers: 3-D, subtitled, 12:10 p.m. (Sa-Su),
3, 6, 9 p.m.
CCM San Carlos, Plaza San Carlos, Ciudad
Quesada, 2460-6202, www.ccmcinemas.com
Men In Black III: 2, 4:20, 6:40, 9 p.m.
Snow White and The Huntsman: dubbed, 1 p.m.
(Sa-Su), 3:40, 6:20, 9 p.m.
CCM San Pedro, Mall San Pedro, 2283-5716,
2280-9585, www.ccmcinemas.com
Men In Black III: 3-D, dubbed, 11:30 a.m.
(Sa-Su), 2, 4:30, 7, 9:30 p.m.; subtitled, 10:30
a.m. (Sa-Su), 1, 2:40, 3:30, 5, 6, 7:20, 8:30,
9:40 p.m.
Paranormal Activity 3: 12:30 p.m. (Sa-Su), 2:45,
4:45, 6:45, 8:45 p.m.
Snow White and The Huntsman: 11 a.m., 12 p.m.
(Sa-Su), 1:40, 2:40, 3:55, 4:20, 5:20, 6:35, 7, 8,
9:20, 9:40 p.m.
The Avengers: 3-D, subtitled, 12:30, 3:30, 6:30,
9:30 p.m.; dubbed, 11:30 a.m.
(Sa-Su), 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 p.m.
The Lucky One: 12:15 p.m. (Sa-Su), 2:25, 4:35,
6:45 p.m.
The Raven: 9 p.m.
CCM San Ramón, Plaza Occidente, San
Ramón, 2447-7120, www.ccmcinemas.com
Battleship: Dubbed, 6:10, 8:50 p.m.
Hookwinked Too! Hood v.s. Evil: Dubbed, 2:20,
4:10 p.m.
Men In Black III: 2, 4:20, 6:40, 9 p.m.
The Avengers: Dubbed, 12:35 p.m. (Sa-Su), 3:30,
6:25, 9 p.m.
Cinemark del Este, Multiplaza del Este, Cur-
ridabat, 2280-0490, www.cinemarkca.com
Battleship: Dubbed, 9 p.m.
Men In Black III: 3-D, Dubbed, F, M-Th, 1:50, 4:10,
6:30, 8:50 p.m.; Sa-Su, 11:20 a.m., 1:50, 4:20,
6:50, 9:20 p.m.; subtitled, F, M-Th, 2:10, 3:10,
4:30, 5:30, 7, 8 p.m.; Sa-Su, 11:50 a.m., 12:50,
2:10, 3:10, 4:35, 5:35, 7:05, 8:05 p.m.
Paranormal Activity 3: F, M-Th, 9:20 p.m.; Sa-Su,
9:35 p.m.
Snow White and The Huntsman: F, M-Th, 2:15,
3:15, 5, 6:05, 8 p.m.; Sa-Su, 11:30 a.m., 12:30,
2:15, 3:15, 5, 6:05, 8 p.m.
The Avengers: 3-D, dubbed, F, M-Th, 2:30, 5:25,
8:20 p.m., Sa-Su, 12:20, 3:20, 6:10, 9:10 p.m.;
dubbed, F, M-Th, 2, 7:25 p.m., Sa-Su, 11:10 a.m.,
2, 7:25 p.m.
The Lucky One: 5:05 p.m.
The Raven: F, M-Th, 2:20, 4:40, 7:05, 9:25 p.m.,
Sa-Su, noon, 2:20, 4:45, 7:10, 9:30 p.m.
This Week’s Movies
Battleship (Batalla naval): Loosely based on
the eponymous game, some ships must destroy
some other ships in this science-fiction action
film. Starring Alexander Skarsgård, Brooklyn
Decker, Rihanna, Liam Neeson. Directed by Erich
Hoeber, Jon Hoeber.
Hoodwinked Too! Hood v.s. Evil (Buza
Caperuza): Hansel and Gretel have disappeared,
and Red Riding Hood, fresh out of training, must
take the case. Starring Hayden Panettiere, Glenn
Close, Patrick Warburton. Directed by Mike Disa.
Men in Black III (Hombres de negro III): In
1969, an alien criminal named Boris assassinated
Agent K. Now Agent J must go back in time to stop
the killing and rewrite history. Starring Will Smith,
Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin. Directed by
Barry Sonnenfeld.
Paranormal Activity 3 (Actividad paranor-
mal el origen): In the late ’80s, two young sisters
make friends with a spirit who lives in their house.
Starring Chloe Csengery, Jessica Tyler Brown and
Christopher Nicholas Smith. Directed by Henry
Joost and Ariel Schulman.
Shame (Deseos cupables): A sex addict
named Brandon must adjust his lifestyle when
his sister Sissy arrives for an unannounced
and indefinite stay. Starring Michael Fassbender,
Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale. Directed by
Steve McQueen.
*Snow White and the Huntsman (Blan-
canieves y el cazador): A huntsman is sup-
posed to kill Snow White, but instead he becomes
her protector on a journey to defeat the evil queen.
Starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charl-
ize Theron. Directed by Rupert Sanders.
The Avengers (Los vengadores): A team of
super heroes called The Avengers must fight to
Cinemark Escazú, Multiplaza Escazú, 2201-
5050, www.cinemarkca.com
Battleship: Dubbed, 5, 7:30 p.m.
Men In Black III: 3-D, Subtitled, F, M-Th, 1:30,
4:10, 6:55, 9:45 p.m.; (Sa-Su), 11 a.m., 1:30,
4:10, 6:55, 9:45 p.m.; Dubbed, F, M-Th, 12:55,
2:05, 3:30, 4:40, 6:05, 7:15, 9:30 p.m.; (Sa-Su),
11:30 a.m., 12:55, 2:05, 3:30, 4:40, 6:05, 7:15,
9:30 p.m.
Snow White and The Huntsman: F, M-Th, 1:10, 4:05,
5:05, 7, 8, 9:55 p.m.; (Sa-Su), 11:15 a.m., 1:10,
4:05, 5:05, 7, 8, 9:55 p.m.
The Avengers: Dubbed, F, M-Th, 1, 4, 7:05 p.m.
Sa-Su, 12:30, 3:35, 7:05 p.m.; subtitled, 10 p.m.;
3-D, subtitled, F, M-Th, 1:35 5, 9 p.m.; Sa-Su,
11:05 a.m., 2, 5, 9 p.m.
The Lucky One: 9:50 p.m.
The Raven: F, M-Th, 1:05, 3:50, 7:10, 9:40
p.m.; Sa-Su, 11:10 a.m., 1:40, 4:35, 7:10,
9:40 p.m.
Cinépolis Terramall, Terramall, Tres Ríos,
2518-0002, www.cinepolis.co.cr
Battleship: subtitled, 6:30, 9:30 p.m.; dubbed, 12:30,
3:30 p.m.
Hookwinked Too! Hood v.s. Evil: Dubbed, 11 a.m.,
(Sa-Su), 1:20, 3:40 p.m.
Men In Black III: subtitled, VIP, 12:30, 3, 5:30, 8
p.m.; 3-D dubbed, VIP, 11:30 a.m., (Sa-Su), 2,
4:30, 6:30, 9 p.m.; 3-D, subtitled, 11 a.m., (Sa-Su),
1:30, 4, 6:30, 7:30, 9, 10 p.m.; 3-D, dubbed, noon,
2:30, 5 p.m. subtitled, 11:30 a.m., (Sa-Su), 2, 4:30,
7:30, 9:30 p.m.; dubbed, 11:30 a.m., 2, 4:30, 7,
9:30 p.m.
Snow White and The Huntsman: VIP, subtitled, 1, 4,
7, 10 p.m.; subtitled, 1, 4, 7, 10 p.m.; dubbed, 11
a.m., (Sa-Su), 2, 5, 8 p.m.
The Avengers: 3-D; dubbed, noon, 3 p.m.; 3-D, sub-
titled, 6, 9 p.m.; subtitled, 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30
THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012 | WEEKEND | W7
Nevermore! A murderer in the streets of Baltimore is taking ideas from the
gruesome stories of Edgar Allan Poe in “The Raven.”
save Earth from an evil army and its leader, Loki.
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr.,
Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans.
Directed by Joss Whedon.
The Lucky One (Cuando te encuentre): Anoth-
er Nicholas Sparks love story in which a a marine
goes looking for a blond woman in Louisana whom
he believes has been his good luck charm during
three tours in Iraq. Starring Zac Efron, Taylor Schil-
ling, Blythe Danner. Directed by Scott Hicks.
p.m.; dubbed, 11 a.m., (Sa-Su), 2, 5, 8 p.m.
The Raven: 2, 4:40, 7:20, 10 p.m.
CitiCinemas Grecia, Plaza Grecia El Ingenio,
Grecia, 2444-1779, www.citicinemascr.com
Men In Black III: 3-D, dubbed, Sa-Su, 11:45 a.m.,
1:55, 4:10, 6:25 p.m., F, M-Th, 2:10, 4:20, 6:30
p.m.; 3-D, subtitled, Sa-Su, 8:40, p.m., F, M-Th,
8:45 p.m.
Snow White and The Huntsman: Sa-Su, 12:30,
3:10, 5:45, 8:20 p.m., F, M-Th, 3:30, 6:05,
8:40 p.m.
The Avengers: 3-D, subtitled, 8:30 p.m.; 3-D,
dubbed, Sa-Su, noon, 2:50, 5:40, F, M-Th, 2:50,
5:40 p.m.
CitiCinemas Jacó, Plaza Coral, Jacó, 2643-
2100, www.citicinemascr.com
Men In Black III: 3-D, dubbed 2:45, 4:55, 7:05 p.m.;
3-D, subtitled, 9:15 p.m.
Shame: 3, 5, 7, 9 p.m.
Snow White and The Huntsman: 3:50, 6:25,
9 p.m.
The Avengers: dubbed, 3:20, 6:05, 8:50 p.m.
Multicines Liberia, Plaza Liberia, 1 km
before Liberia, 2665-1515, www.multicines-
liberia.com
Men In Black III: 3-D, dubbed, F-Su, noon, 2:10,
4:20, 6:40 p.m., M-Th, 2:30, 4:30, 6:40 p.m., 3-D,
subtitled, 9 p.m.,
Paranormal Activity 3: 9 p.m.
Snow White and The Huntsman: F- Su, 11:30
a.m., 2, 4:30, 7, 9:30 p.m., M- Th, 2:20, 4:40, 7,
9:30 p.m.
The Avengers 3-D: Dubbed, F- Su, noon, 3 p.m., M-
Th, 3 p.m., 3-D Subtitled, 6 p.m.
The Raven: dubbed, F- Su, noon, 2:10, 4:30, 7, 9:20
p.m., M- Th, 2:20, 4:30, 7, 9:20 p.m.
Courtesy of Larry Horricks
The Pirates! Band of Misfits (¡Piratas! Una
loca aventura): Animated film about an enthusi-
astic but decidedly unsuccessful pirate captain who
sets out with an inept crew to win the Pirate of the
Year award. Directed by Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt.
*The Raven (El cuervo): A young Baltimore
detective and Edgar Allan Poe must stop a killer,
who is committing grisly murders inspired by Poe’s
works. Starring John Cusack, Alice Eve and Luke
Evans. Directed by James McTeigue.
Multicines Plaza Paraíso, Plaza Paraíso, road
to Paraíso de Cartago, 2592-3133
Battleship: Dubbed, 11:30 a.m., (Sa-Su), 2,
4:30 p.m.
Men In Black III: Dubbed, noon, (Sa-Su), 2, 4, 6,
8 p.m.
Paranormal Activity 3: 7 p.m.
The Avengers: 5, 7:30 p.m.
The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Dubbed, 11:45 a.m.,
(Sa-Su), 1:30, 3:15 p.m.
Nova Cinemas, Avenida Escazú, east side
of CIMA Hospital, Escazú, 2299-7485, www.
novacinemas.cr
Battleship: Subtitled, 3 p.m. (Sa-Su), 6,
9 p.m.
Men In Black III: IMAX- 3-D, subtitled, 4:15 p.m.
(Sa-Su), 6:30, 8:45 p.m.; IMAX- 3-D, dubbed, 11
a.m., (Sa-Su) 2 p.m., subtitled, 11:15 a.m., 2:45
p.m., (Sa-Su), 5, 7:15, 9:30 p.m.; digital, 3-D,
dubbed, 11:45 a.m., 2:30 p.m., (Sa-Su), 4:45
p.m.; digital, 3-D, subtitled, 7, 9:15 p.m.
Snow White and The Huntsman: 11:30 a.m.
(Sa-Su), 3, 6, 8:45 p.m.
The Avengers: digital, 3-D, dubbed, 11:30
a.m., 2:30 p.m. Sa-Su, 3:15 p.m.; digital,
3-D, subtitled, 5:30, 8:40 p.m., Sa-Su, 6:15,
9:20 p.m.
The Lucky One: Subtitled, 4:15 p.m., (Sa-Su), 6:30,
9:15 p.m.
Variedades Theater, Ca. 5, Av. Ctrl./1, San
José, 2222-6108, www.facebook.com/
TeatroVariedades
Fuenteovejuna: 8 p.m.
Martes el borde: T, 7:30 p.m.
Mi Butaca VIP: M, 7:30 p.m.
Men In Black III: 3-D, F-Su, 1, 3, 5, 7 p.m.; M, Tu, 3,
5 p.m.; W, Th, 3, 5 p.m.
W8 | WEEKEND | THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012
Magaly’s Back
Photo by Mónica Quesada | Tico Times
Spotlight
Jobs Play a Thinker
By Hannah J. Ryan
Tico Times Staff
Y
ou’ve just received your new iPhone
and its purported megabytes of empty
digital space. You plan to fill it with
messages and photos of your friends, family
and cat, but to your surprise, your new gad-
get is already occupied. It contains photos of
the phone’s birthplace in a Chinese factory.
When monologist Mike Daisey heard that
this actually happened to someone, he was
intrigued, and he went to China in 2010 to
investigate the source of the world’s beloved
Apple products. What he found became
the subject of his play, “The Agony and the
Ecstasy of Steve Jobs.” After seeing the Little
Theatre Group’s iteration of Daisey’s play,
audience members will never look at their
iPhones or MacBooks the same way.
Friday night just 25 seats were filled, with
double that available at the Laurence Olivier
Theatre, a modern, concrete affair with a
basement Shakespeare bar. As the lights
dimmed and the stage lit up, five actors
After 33 years in business, Costa Rica’s largest movie theater – Cine Magaly – shuffled on stage and took seats in chairs
closed in June of last year. On Friday, June 1, it reopened with a new strategy: facing the audience. Director Pilar Saavedra-
unique programming. Vela divided the monologue among the
“The Magaly’s audience wants to see different films,” said Luis Carcheri, actors, who took turns portraying the nar-
manager of the company Romaly, which now runs the theater. A European film rator Daisey and other characters during the
two-hour production.
festival kicking things off Friday is an example of what audiences can expect. The narrators took the audience from
Numerous countries in Europe, including Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria, the college-dropout days of Steve Jobs to his
have each selected one film for the festival, Carcheri said. The 2011 film selected development of Apple, and then they explored
by France, “The Untouchables,” follows a rich French quadriplegic and his Daisey’s own fascination with technology,
young Senegalese live-in caretaker through their complicated relationship. “All experience inside Chinese factories and dis-
cussions with Chinese union organizers.
of the films touch on everyday themes that we relate to,” Carcheri said. “This “I found this piece touching, and so
film series does this with drama and comedy.” important to bring up,” said Saavedra-Ve-
Laura Molina, director for the Costa Rican Center for Film Production, la, who had never before directed a play.
said the reopening of Cine Magaly is positive for Costa Rican culture, “Everyone has so many items in their homes
especially in the audiovisual and film sectors. “As the magic of film once again that are made in China. Technology is so
pervasive in our lives and this piece helps us
illuminates the Magaly screen, we are thrilled to know that the reorientation to see a side we’ve not contemplated.”
of the theater’s programming gives special emphasis to artistic films and Costa Controversy around the play surfaced
Rican audiovisual works.” after the public radio show “This American
Cine Magaly opened in 1978 and was the first theater in Costa Rica Life” aired an excerpt from the monologue.
to have reclining seats and a digital sound system. The managers have worked A journalist in China heard the show and
reported that Daisey exaggerated aspects of
to ensure that the quaint character of the theater remains. Tickets for the his play, for instance, the armed guards sur-
film festival cost ₡1,800 ($3.50) for adults and ₡1,000 ($2) for students. Cine rounding the factories. Only police and mili-
Magaly is located in Barrio La California at Avenida 23 and Calle Central in tary personnel in China are allowed to carry
central San José. Visit www.centrodecine.go.cr for more details. weapons. Daisey later admitted to embel-
-Hannah Ryan lishing his play for theatrical effect, but the
version presented by the Little Theater Group
contained none of the inaccuracies.
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LTG: Tom Humes as Mike Daisey.
Some theater critics have defended
Daisey, arguing that even if details were mis-
construed, the fact remains that employ-
ees in many electronics companies overseas
experience terrible working conditions to
deliver the world’s hundred-dollar iPods and
thousand-dollar MacBooks. One particularly
egregious example Daisey’s monologue high-
lights is that of N-hexane,the chemical used
to clean the screens of electronic devices. It
causes neurological damage, which the actors
portrayed with vivid and disturbing tremors.
The play concludes with a call to action.
Actors ask for those moved by the produc-
tion to think twice about upgrading one’s
electronics, to educate themselves about
where products come from and to spread
the messages of Daisey’s play.
Tom Humes, one of the actors, said this
work is more like a documentary and it has
a different goal than the usual productions
seen from the Little Theater Group. “Usually
we want to make you laugh or cry, but with
this one we want you to think,” he said. “This
gives you a different look at the icon of Steve
Jobs and the downside to his empire.”n
The Little Theatre Group is staging the play
for one more weekend at the Laurence Olivier
Theatre in San José, at Avenida 2, Calle 28,
next to the Sala Garbo, 7:30 p.m. Friday and
Saturday, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Call 8858-
1446 or visit www.littletheatregroup.org.
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 THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012 | BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE | 9

Business Real Estate

Central Bank: C.R. Economy Has Momentum

By Fernando Quirós Acceleration
Inter-annual
variation
the government would have to sell bonds
Tico Times Staff 2.0 10.0 in the local currency financial market, com-
peting with and putting upward pressure
Laura Chinchilla’s administration of 1.5
8.0 on interest rates banks must pay to attract
National Liberation Party leaders has thrown deposits.
in the towel on a proposed tax hike and seri- 6.0 With the tax package now dead, the
ous deficit reduction. Will Chinchilla now 1.0 basic colón deposit interest rate has risen
preside over a big decline in the Costa Rican 4.0
2.5 percent, from 7.25 percent a year ago
economy? Not according to the Central 0.5 to 9.75 percent. In spite of this, Costa
Bank’s economics department. 2.0
Rica’s stronger-than-expected production
Growth in gross domestic product – the momentum, as measured by IMEA, should
0.0
sum of all production by every person and keep 2012 economic growth more than
0.0
company in an economy – is the standard satisfactory.
measure of economic good times and bad -0.5 “At the growth rate shown by the IMEA
-2.0
times. In good times, GDP grows, while in at the present time, Costa Rica’s economy
bad times it shrinks. But there’s a problem in -1.0
will easily exceed the Central Bank’s optimis-
-4.0 tic GDP growth projection of 4 percent for
measuring GDP. It takes a long time to add
up everybody’s economic activity. So, GDP 2012,” Feoli said.
figures are generally published three to six -1.5 -6.0 The Central Bank official attributes
this unanticipated economic resilience to
January-09
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
January-10
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
January-11
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
January-12
Feb
Mar
months after a quarterly closing.
Costa Rica’s Central Bank has the great- stronger-than-expected demand for Costa
est need for up-to-date information on GDP. Rican export products in the United States.
After all, the institution is in charge of the Courtesy of Central Bank Leading sectors of the incipient export-
country’s money supply, and needs to know Better Than Expected: The Central Bank’s Index of Monthly Economic Activity, driven mini-boom are manufacturing and
how much money the economy needs. Since general and financial services.
Central Bank officials can’t wait three to or IMEA, helps policymakers track up-to-date figures on the country’s growth. A sectoral breakdown of IMEA also
six months to find out how the economy is The most recent index shows Costa Rica’s economy is stronger than expected. shows a modest reactivation in construc-
growing, they have developed a short-term tion as an important growth contributor.
predictor of GDP, which they call the Index is holding at 7 percent over decent 2011 projection for 2012, the institution forecast Construction, though still slow, has seen
of Monthly Economic Activity, or IMEA (see results. 4 percent GDP growth this year, if the tax small but positive growth since August
graph). Chinchilla’s administration argues that package was passed. Growth was projected 2011, recovering from 19 months of unin-
The IMEA is a weighted average index its failed tax hike was an exercise in fiscal to drop to 3.8 percent without the tax pack- terrupted shrinkage in 2010 and the first
of production for most large companies in responsibility, an attempt to quit kicking age, under the assumption that without it, half of 2011.n
the Costa Rican economy. The Central Bank the can down the road and face up to the
gathers the information by calling com- problem of unsustainable 5 percent govern-

U.S. Tax
panies for their monthly production data. ment deficits.
IMEA results in the chart have two parts: Opponents criticize the tax-only

a monthly bar graph showing growth or
shrinkage from the previous month, and a
solid trend-line tracking the current month’s
results versus the same month in the previ-
ous year.
It shows that 2010 was a tough year, with
the monthly production-index bars consis-
tently dropping, and the solid-line average
declining steadily. But the economy recov-
ered nicely in 2011 – not to the high-growth
pace of 2009, but steadily positive for 11 out
of 12 months.
For 2012, data is available up to March.
Though monthly growth flattens, the mov-
ing average remains steadily positive.
Even with production numbers drop-
ping recently, the economy has built up
And
approach, and say more spending reduction
is needed. The odds are that this argument
is now academic, as any significant fiscal
reform will fall to the next administration,
which takes office in 2014.
The good news from the Central Bank’s
Accounting
IMEA numbers is that Costa Rica’s econ- Specializing in Tax Preparation
omy is nonetheless doing well. Economist for U.S. Taxpayers living abroad
Gustavo Feoli, who works in the Central &
Bank’s Economic Statistics Department, To assist you with Costa Rican
where the IMEA is calculated, is cautiously
optimistic as to Costa Rica’s medium-term taxes and other business needs.
prospects. He points out that the country’s 7
percent moving-average IMEA is the highest
in Central America at the moment; the aver- 2288-2201
age for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Over 15 years experience in Costa Rica
Salvador and Honduras is 5 percent.
ustax@lawyer.com
12803

0053

good momentum, and the moving average In the Central Bank’s January economic

U.S. James Brohl, C.P.A. & M.B.A.

Economic Indicators
INCOME TAX U.S. INCOME MayMay 26 - June
25-May 31 2| Current
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Values and
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PercentageChanges
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David G. Housman, Attorney & C.P.A.
Specializing in all matters and I.R.S. pro-
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in costa rica 32 years • Business Consulting to facilitate INFLATION Average loan INTEREST Rate
campo veintiuna, S.A. working in Costa Rica
• Accounting for US and International APRIL Last 12 months ACCRUED ’12 Colones 19.24%
By appointment only Financial Reporting 0.63% 4.7% 1.50%
Tel. 2239-2005 - 8389-2590 phone: 8305-3149 or 2256-8620 Dollars 10.99%
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Associate of James Brohl 12164 Associate of David G. Housman SOURCES: Central Bank (www.bccr.fi.cr) & Bolsa Nacional de Valores (www.bolsacr.com)
11742
 10 | BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE | THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012
For Builders, Expo Offers One-Stop Shopping
By Clayton R. Norman
Tico Times Staff
Expoferretera Costa Rica, an annual all-
things-hardware and automotive exposition,
is coming to the Centro de Eventos Pedregal
in Belén, Heredia, north of San José. The
event kicks off today and will run through
Sunday.
Organizers expect more than 80 con-
struction, hardware and materials business-
es to occupy some 200 stands in the 5,600-
square-meter event center.
Now in its 14th iteration, Expoferretera
is the hardware and construction supply
industry’s largest exposition in Costa Rica.
Company representatives will offer energy-
saving devices, organizational ideas, auto-
motive products, electrical supplies, con-
struction tools, painting accessories, secu-
rity systems and more. Activities include a
concert Saturday night, a mechanical bull,
crafts for kids, product demonstrations and
a foosball tournament. Car exhibitions, an
airbrushing demonstration and a vehicle-
accident simulation will also take place.
On Monday, Expoferretera organizers
held a press conference to discuss the state
of the industry in Costa Rica.
“The group [of businesses] that make
up this sector is business-oriented and
believes Costa Rica can be made better,” said
Expoferretera President Karl Hempel.
There are currently some 1,450 points of
sale for hardware and construction materials
in Costa Rica, Hempel said. About 55 per-
cent of them are located either in San José or
Alajuela, northwest of the capital, with the
rest distributed across the country.
Honduran Company to Build
Mega-Mall in Alajuela
In 2014, the city of Alajuela, northwest
of San José, will inaugurate one of the
largest shopping malls in the country. The
design of the 185,000-square-meter City
Mall project will rival the gigantic Mall
Multiplaza Escazú, southwest of the city.
The City Mall will include 280 stores
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Build It: More than 80 construction and hardware businesses, including Costa
Rica’s INTACO, are participating in this year’s Expoferretera. The expo kicks off
today and will feature three days worth of activities at the Pedregal Events Center
in Belén de Heredia, north of San José.
In 2011, the sector imported more than
$1.7 billion worth of goods, mostly from the
United States, followed by Mexico, Chile and
China. Hempel noted, however, that a gen-
eral slump in the construction industry has
affected the hardware-sales market.
In 2008, more than 700,000 square
meters of new construction were built in
Costa Rica, but that number fell to less than
and 2,400 parking spaces, according to El
Financiero. Honduran company Lady Lee
plans to start construction in October, once
permits are issued.
The company did not release the price
of the investment, but based on the amount
of land acquired, El Financiero estimated
that $13.7 million likely has already been
allocated.
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Aliss, Universal and Carrion and a 10-screen
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500,000 square meters in 2009. In 2011,
approximately 600,000 square meters of new
construction were built.
Besides being subject to fluctuations in
the construction market, hardware distribu-
tors are facing other setbacks. In a survey
of 50 hardware businesses in Costa Rica, 55
percent indicated that a lack of easy access to
financing was the major problem confront-
movie theater. Foreign brands from Europe,
Israel and the United States are looking to
open stores, including Gap, Kenneth Cole,
Tommy Hilfiger and Chili’s.
The mall also will include an arcade with
a “ferris wheel, bumper cars and a nursery.”
El Financiero also noted that in time for
the holiday season, two new malls will open,
and Mall Multiplaza Escazú will be remod-
eled. The Lincoln Plaza in Moravia, northeast
of San José, and Paseo Metrópoli in Cartago,
east of San José, debut in November. The
refurbished Mall Multiplaza Escazú includes
U.S. brands new to the country, such as Gap,
Banana Republic and Forever 21, and also
U.S. eateries Chili’s and Cosi.
–Tico Times
Poll: Chinchilla Falls Short on
Economic Policy
Three out of four Costa Ricans believe
President Laura Chinchilla’s government is
Land Measurement Chart
1 HECTARE
10,000 sq. meters / 107,600 sq. ft.
100 mts.
328 feet
1 MANZANA
83.8 mts.
275 feet
1 ACRE
4,049 sq. meters / 43,560 sq. ft.
63.6 mts.
209 feet
ing the sector. High competition in a market
with a relatively small number of clients
was identified as the second most pressing
problem, and complex bureaucracy at the
municipal level for opening new businesses
or locations came in third.
The same survey indicated that most
folks in the hardware- and construction-
materials industry believe a reduction of
taxes on materials would be the best help the
government could give the sector. Hardware
store operators would also like to see banks
offer more lines of credit, streamlined pro-
cesses for authorizing housing bonds and a
reduction in the procedural time needed to
open new locations.
Hempel said the industry sees room for
growth in the automotive sector. Costa Rica’s
poorly maintained highways and more than
1.6 million vehicles driving on them mean
stores stocking automotive supplies have a
national fleet of customers in need of near-
constant service. Added to that, Hempel said,
import taxes on vehicles are high enough to
prohibit a large influx of new cars into the
country, meaning maintenance and upkeep
of older models is an important market
for distributors of automotive supplies and
tools. Automotive supplies already make
up more than 15 percent of the majority of
hardware and construction supply business-
es’ inventories in Costa Rica, Hempel said.
Expoferretera runs from 11 a.m.-8 p.m.,
Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on
Sunday. Entrance is 2,000 ($4), but those
who register online at www.expoferretera.
com or text 2231-6722, extension 146 or
123, will receive a code for free entry when
presented at the gate.n
doing a poor job on the economy, a recent
poll by the University of Costa Rica found.
An equal number say they are pessimistic
about the country’s economic future.
Residents in 707 homes were inter-
viewed May 2-15, and the survey has a mar-
gin of error of less than 3 percent.
Pollsters asked Costa Ricans questions
related to family life, income and percep-
tion of the country’s future. Some 60
percent of those polled said that because
of the economy, it would be unwise to
buy a house, and only 16 percent said
the economy is favorable for purchasing
a car.
Consumer confidence based on the poll-
ing was rated at only 39 percent, down from
44 percent three months ago.
Johnny Madrigal, who headed the poll,
said consumers remain pessimistic despite
indications that the Costa Rican economy
is performing stronger than expected (see
story, Page 9).
–AFP
CONVERSION CHART
1 mile = 1.61 kilometers
1 kilometer = .6214 miles
1 meter = 3.28 feet
1 foot = .304 meters
1 yard = .914 meters
1 vara = .836 meters
1 square vara = .698896 m2
1 meter =1.09 yards
1 square meter =10.76 sq.feet
Courtesy of Paradise Properties
1 square foot = .093 sq. mts.
1 manzana = .698896 hectares (7,000 sq. mts)
1 manzana =1.73 acres
1 acre = 43,560 sq. feet
1 acre = .405 hectares
1 hectare = 10,000 sq. mts.
1 hectare = 2.47 acres
1 hectare =107,600 sq. feet.
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters
13026
 THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012 | OPINION | 11

Editorial

No es justo (It’s Not Fair)

I
n some ways it feels like there is a greater force behind the absurd political There is no denying what the PLN did. They negotiated away the country’s
calamity that’s occurring in the country’s Legislative Assembly, like there’s human rights to earn some votes in the assembly, an embarrassment worsened
something hidden, pulling the strings. We’re just waiting for that someone to by the fact that Costa Rica has a reputation as a human rights leader. The Inter-
pull back the curtain and say: “We’re just kidding. This is a democracy. Now what American Court of Human Rights was established here in 1979, after a 10-year
would you like to discuss?” struggle to enable it to happen. One of the men instrumental in bringing the court
But those in charge are exactly who they appear to be: straight, Christian men. to San José, Thomas Buergenthal, was at the time perhaps the youngest living sur-
They live a privileged life in a role they were born into. This week, they dem- vivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
onstrated how little they care about the rest of As José María Villalta, the country’s youngest
the citizenry. legislator, put it, the current assembly is full of
On Thursday afternoon, lawmakers placed While much of Costa Rica seems to take hypocrisy and seems to be zooming backwards
evangelical Justo Orozco as head of the Human
Rights Commission, despite a huge outcry from
the issue of equal rights seriously, the idea of through time.
While much of Costa Rica seems to take the
Costa Ricans that a man who promotes homopho- equality is a joke to some leading politicians issue of equal rights seriously, the idea of equality
bic, hateful and misogynistic ideals should not be in is a joke to some leading politicians. Orozco called
charge of a human rights body (see story, Page 1). Costa Rica a “land of milk and honey.” But what
Orozco is accompanied on the panel by three conservative allies from the rul- he doesn’t understand is that it’s only that way to him – not to women who cannot
ing National Liberation Party (PLN). Only one member of the panel is a woman, produce children or to LGBT members.
Carmen Muñoz. When the time came to vote for the president of the commission, There will not be progress with human rights this year. That would take the type
Muñoz presented a petition started Wednesday on Change.org asking that Orozco of miracle Orozco believes in. The only result we can hope for is that those who
no longer be the presumptive nominee for the commission. believe in equal rights will fight back.
But the PLN’s response to the indignation: “We had a deal.” They did. They chose Costa Ricans have two options: become apathetic with the system, or become
to honor that deal. On May 1, the PLN, the Access Without Exclusion Party (PASE) politically active and fight for rights being denied.
and Costa Rica’s two evangelical lawmakers agreed to an alliance in Congress. The collective political memory of Costa Rica often may seem short, but pro-
Part of that agreement included putting Orozco in charge of the Human Rights gressives must remember what happened here. The ruling party sold out citizens’
Commission. But in a democracy, those in charge should acknowledge the voice rights and a chance for greater equality. So it’s time for some respect. The next
of the people – not tell them “they had a deal.” And if this is a democracy, we’ll see time you have the chance to vote, don’t let those in charge forget the mistakes they
backlash against the PLN and PASE in subsequent elections. made this week.

Letters

Founded in 1956 by Elisabeth Dyer More Comments Australians would obviously prefer the
Japanese whaling fleet stop coming here
Dear Tico Times:
Publisher 1972-1996 Richard Dyer
On Paul Watson altogether. They move like clockwork and Just dropping a line to say that Costa
1981 IAPA - Pedro G. Beltrán Award for distinguished destroy our Christmas festivities every year Rica is perceived by the world as en eco-
service to the community
Dear Tico Times: by blowing the gentle and amazing whales friendly country. Through living in the
1985 Special Citation Maria Moors Cabot Awards
to bits. We view it as a violent, unnecessary country for three years and seeing what is
1990 National Conservation Prize
1995 IAPA Grand Prize for Press Freedom
We have seen the video “Sharkwater,” act of evil, nothing less. happening, Costa Rica’s reputation is now
1998 Salvation Army Others Award
and Sea Shepherd boats did not harm the We would also prefer they stop cutting on shaky ground.
National Tourism Chamber Media Award
shark-finning vessel or her crew. the throats of friendly and trusting dol- With films like “Sharkwater,” the inci-
Thank you for running your May 25 phins, which are not a threat, but are highly dent when Gordon Ramsay was threatened
In memoriam - Linda Frazier (1945-1984) story on the issue, which is being widely cir- intelligent, loving and loyal sea companions with violence while looking into shark
Vol. LV N. 2170 culated in the United States. to humans. finning, and now Paul Watson’s arrest,
As regular visitors from Los Angeles to This is not strictly a political issue. Costa Rica’s image as an eco-friendly coun-
Publisher Dery Dyer Advertising the Four Seasons Papagayo Resort, in the Few could argue there are deep matters of try is being threatened by global perception.
Editor David Boddiger Cindy Vargas northwestern province of Guanacaste, we morality involved, and decisions to be made I was so upset when I was at Isla del
Weekend Editor Ashley Harrell Edwin Ramírez would be very upset if your country, which that concern us all. There is much to be Coco and a large fishing operation was
Sustainable Living Editor Steve Mack Jeannette Campos
has been exhibited as an idyllic, eco-friendly held accountable for, and there will be no discovered in the park’s waters with tons
Online Editor Laianer Arias Vanessa Marenco
Business Manager Olman Chacón
haven for tourists, was to be seen as danger- end to human misery if we continue ignor- of illegal tuna on board. What was the out-
Public Relations & Sales Manager Circulation Manager: ous to Americans and Canadians alike. ing these constant and dreadful assaults on come of the Costa Rican court case? The
Kathia Lorena Coto Diego Herrera We’re looking forward to Capt. Paul our own environment. Costa Rica government had to release the
Staff Writers & Contributors
Meizel Hernández Watson being free to do the work he has Too few people – including politicians entire crew and pay the ship’s owner for
Ann Antkiw, Ed Bernhardt, Kate Galante, peacefully accomplished for decades. – take real pride in the environment, which refueling costs ($10,000) to return to port.
Finance
David Garrett, Julie Godfrey,
Rigoberto León
has been badly beaten and neglected by As a diving instructor, I have dived with
Néstor González, Susan Hall Liang,
Karen Nalle man. That neglect is reflected straight back groups on one of the main dive sites in
Rod Hughes, Andrew Kasper,
Gaby Kyriss, Shawn Larkin, Matt Levin,
Production Manager: Los Angeles, California, U.S. on our society. Costa Rica, where we swam alongside guys
Mayra Sojo Obviously, we can make more choices killing octopus in front of us – much to
Vicky Longland, Dorothy Mac­Kinnon,
Roy Arguedas
Jennifer McLennan, Clayton R. Norman, There has been little mentioned in than the animals that inhabit our forests, the distress of my divers. That incident will
Jack O’Brien, Todd Staley, the media [in Australia] about the arrest plains, deserts, jungles and oceans, but that leave a lasting impression of Costa Rican
Customer Service
Mitzi Stark, Jeffrey Van Fleet
Max Bejarano of Capt. Paul Watson in Germany or may not always be the case. We must learn conservation.
Photography Martha Gamboa the extradition order from Costa Rica. how to properly conserve and protect our At this same dive site (Catalinas), I went
Gabe Dinsmoor, Alberto Font, Clara León Nevertheless, it is proving to be a world- natural habitats for the preservation of the to the place where white-tip sharks nor-
Fernando Quirós Bernardino Madrigal
Mariel Salazar
wide concern. precious and massively diminished species mally hang out. All that was left off them
Systems
I think we all know Watson is no saint; on the planet, or simply blindly go ahead was dismembered heads – another good
Edwin Cárdenas
or maybe he is. If Japan has an issue with as we are and devour, diminish and destroy memory for the divers I was with. The only
him, then perhaps they should consider what is left. hammerhead shark I have ever seen was
The Tico Times (USPS 002-579) is published every Friday their own actions first. With millions of As irritating as he can be at times, and a juvenile about 40 cm long with its fins
for $65 per year by The Tico Times S.A., I know him personally, Australians decided
Australians objecting wholeheartedly to the sliced off – again, at a high-profile dive site.
Avenida 8, Calle 15, Apartado 4632-1000, San José, Costa Rica.
Tel. (506) 2258-1558
unseemly conduct regarding animal welfare long ago to let Capt. Watson sail away for If countries globally perceived as eco-
Periodicals postage paid in Miami, FL in the southern Pacific, it matters not in the another day, and I sincerely hope Costa Rica friendly don’t have the strength to stand up
Postmaster – Send address changes to: least to Japanese officials. will do the same today. for what they are supposed to be famous
The Tico Times-SJO 717, As our own politicians are proving for, the knock-on is going to affect tourist
P.O. Box 025331, Miami FL 33102-5331.
extremely slow to move on this, the sinner- Jennifer Rose income. This could economically affect the
More Letters Page 124
Copyright Convention: unauthorized reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.
saint of a sailor appears to be all we have. Melbourne, Australia
12 | OPINION | THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012

That’s Just Crazy NESTOR G.

Photo by German Rosales

A Costa Rican “crocodile hunter” makes his living performing for tourists on
the Tárcoles River, near the central Pacific coast. Travelers from all over the
world come to watch him feed and “play” with the ancient giants.
E-mail your photos to letters@ticotimes.net or upload them at the Reader Photo Gallery at www.ticotimes.net

Letters

3Page 11
country more than the dirty money they
receive from Japan and other Asian countries
to enable them to plunder Costa Rican waters.
From living in the country and seeing
what is happening, somebody has to take a
stand, not only to help regain Costa Rica’s
reputation as a country that cares about the
environment, but also to avoid selling out
to rich, destructive Asian countries that just
end up raping Costa Rica’s oceans.
Rosemary Wang
Surfside/Portrero
Stop Illegal Fishing
Dear Tico Times:
Last week’s special informative sec-
tion, “A Blue Agenda for Costa Rica is
Necessary,” (TT, May 18) is absolutely typi-
cal of a do-nothing society. Every year (I’ve
seen it firsthand for six years), you can find
the same shrimp boats working the Santa
Rosa National Park, in the northwestern
province of Guanacaste, and Isla Bolaños
Wildlife Refuge, off the northern Pacific
coast. They work at night with their lights
off, and lay up around Playas del Coco dur-
ing the day.
Everyone knows this, and all the sport-
fishermen see this, but the park guard and
Coast Guard do absolutely nothing, as
usual – except harass the sportfishermen
for calling them on the radio to tell them to
get off their asses and do something.
Rules for Letters and Perspective
The Tico Times welcomes your contributions. Letters to the editor must be 500
words or fewer and include the name of the writer, as well as a return address and
phone number. Perspectives must be 900 words or fewer and include a short bio-
graphical sketch and contact information. Submissions should be original. Send
your contributions to letters@ticotimes.net, fax: 2233-6378, or mail to:
Apdo. 4632-1000, San José, Costa Rica.
Why would anyone send money to
help such corrupt, do-nothing people?
Why come here to fish at all when longlin-
ers work this very park and the guards
do nothing? They work the reef system at
Tamarindo and the guard does nothing.
Why spend any money to come here to fish
when criminals are the only ones profiting,
and beggars are now asking the World Bank
to think about a repopulation project just
to help them out? Just how two-faced can a
government get?
I will fight any money given to this gov-
ernment, or any other, to help repopulate
any species for the benefit of the oceans’
criminal shark finners and longliners. Until
this government actually makes illegal fish-
ing a real crime and starts seizing boats and
selling them for scrap, nothing will change.
The people, Ticos, only become poorer.
I guess you know now what you sold
for the price of a bridge and a new soccer
stadium. The government is up to its neck
selling food from people’s plates to foreign
companies for a sack of magic beans.
Chinese companies applied for whal-
ing permits inside the 12-mile limit, saying
they would pay taxes. There are only 236
whales here every year, as a young woman
who actually did some of the counting told
me. They come to mate and give birth, yet
the government sells (kills) off the breed-
ing population. Maybe they should rename
Parque Ballenas (Whale Park) to “Blood-
and-Gore Park”. It’s just what a boatload of
whale-watchers would love to see: the ocean
red with blood and the animals thrashing
about, spewing gore. How would that look
in Condé Nast travel magazine? I’ll do my
Thanks for reading.
best to get that picture on the front page.
Another reason for whaling inside the
12-mile limit it that it’s the whales’ migration
route. The whole world can see this is abso-
lutely immoral and without conscience.
Richard Shank
Playa Langosta
A Cellphone Company’s
Irresponsible Behavior
Dear Tico Times:
The private cellphone industry thinks
they have carte blanche due to the U.S.-
Central America Free Trade Agreement and
recent rulings by Costa Rica’s Constitutional
Chamber of the Supreme Court. Worse,
they think it extends to all phases of plan-
ning and construction. In San Rafael de
Heredia, where I live, the situation is an
unregulated Wild West.
Imagine my surprise when Saturday
afternoon my daughter yells from her
second-floor bedroom that there are two
strange men with machetes on our roof in
front of her window. During our neighbors’
construction of a cellphone tower a mere
four meters from my house, they removed
my fence, dropped a tree on our roof and
climbed on it to clean it up – all without
our permission. Our older daughter in
Texas had a typically Texan reaction: “Here
in Texas, we would have shot them on the
spot.”
We called the police. Now, I understand
that the workmen, fearing for their jobs,
were following the order from their boss.
If my daughter had been armed, however,
do you think the judges would place the
blame for the death of two men with big
knives on the boss and the cellphone com-
pany? After all, they took down my fence
without asking.
If I had attack dogs, who would be to
blame? If my neighbors, who are allowing
this tower in their backyard, have dogs that
cross into my yard and bite someone, who
would be to blame? If a small child were
to take advantage of the fence removal and
fall into the deep construction pit, who is
to blame?
The cellphone company boss of course
did not trespass, she ordered workers to do
it. I’ll bet that cellphone company bosses,
municipal officials, and doña Laura’s
Cabinet members don’t have cellphone
towers in their backyard.
When technology changes, these aban-
doned towers will dot the landscape like
rotting dinosaurs, only to fall over on
someone’s house, and the companies will
be nowhere to be found.
I personally will stick with the state-
run monopoly, the Costa Rican Electricity
Institute, and boycott these outside fly-
by-night companies. I also will support a
government that values the welfare of its
citizens over “get-rich-quick” outsiders, and
hope you will do the same.
Richard Tandlich
San Rafael de Heredia
What Caused the
Dolphin Deaths?
Dear Tico Times:
Dolphins and pelicans were found dead
off the coast of Brazil. The Brazilian govern-
ment claims they died of an unidentified
disease, but autopsies revealed bloody, rup-
tured eardrums caused by blasts from U.S.
petroleum-exploration vessels.
Petroleum exploration is accomplished
by underwater explosions read by sonar,
indicating the possible existence of oil
deposits. The detonations kill all marine life
within miles.
I have seen these vessels in the Golfo
Dulce, where I live. Just one more instance
of collateral damage in our insatiable quest
for black gold.
George Prosser
Golfito
 THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012 | CLASSIFIEDS | 13

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1001 Apartments $650 incl utilities, WiFi,
301 Health
laund/patio. SANTA ANA. Furn, tel, TV,
Tel. 2249-3390 pool, DSL, parking, $550/
APT SAN Pedro, UCR,
Services Unique malls, 1 bdr, quiet, furn, month. Swiss Manager.
Tel. 2282-6811/8818-5631
Opportunity!! Internet $440.
ESCAZU. Furn & unfurn.
HAIR TURNKEY Tel. 8887-4487/8707-7799
villalakshmi.com Apts., homes, condos.
BUSINESS
PIECES With corp., clientele,
Rent or sale.
Bob Tel. 8301-3966
TIBAS, Residencial Llorente,
1-2-3- bdr, furn, unfurn,
vehicle, 75 CFM com- pool, gym, party ranch,
Repairs, tapes, maintenance,
natural or synthetic hair. pressor, and ‘Moles’ that APARTMENTS 24 hr sec, $700-$785.
ESCAZU. Studio inside priv. Tel. 8384-7493/2236-0197
Call María
run pipe under roads
without tearing up the LOS YOSES prop., very safe, pool, cable,
Tel. 2256-4347
pavement. 3 bdr. $850. Fully fur- Internet, fully furn. $500.
All for only $22,000. nished, Internet, Cable Tel. 2289-6055 TRES RIOS, 2 bdr, furn,
Info: (506) 2451-0365.
TV, Washer & Dryer. maid, cable, W/D,
MASSAGE: Therapeutic,
US toll-free: 800-867-5778
Tropical gardens. Internet, secure, $700.
relaxing, Deep Tissue.
Quiet residential area. ROHRMOSER, 2 bdr, Tel. 2279-3973
Hotel & House. Mellin@ice.co.cr
Walking distance: 2 bath, furn, cable, no
Tel. 8361-3162. Restaurants,
pets, gar, $750/mo.
700 MISCELLANEOUS Supermarkets, Tel. 2232-2173 1002 Commercial
703 Miscellaneous Universities, Malls. Property
SALA VILMA, Therapeutic,
CLOSING OFFICE. 13 call
sensitive and anti-stress 400 mts South
ROHRMOSER, FURN, SHARE AN OFFICE,
massage. Bo. Don Bosco, center cubicles, assorted Automercado Los Yoses
2 bdr, living, dining, gar, clinic in Sn Rafael, Escazú,
30-32 Street, 6 Ave. desks and chairs. All must Tel. (506) 2224-0402 or
go! Paseo Colón. Call: (506) 8707-3324 1 ba, $400/mo, serv. included
House # 3051.
Tel. 2233-9969/8867-0008 evelyncs@gmail.com Tel. 2268-3611 Tel. 2588-1115/16.
Tel. 2221-6192
Counseling
Stuck? Confused?
Depressed? Self-loathing?
Addictions? Relationship
problems?
An empathetic ear,
open heart and soul
wisdom to help you find
Empowerment and
Clarity
“Life is not a problem to be
solved, but a
process to be
explored and
a path to be
walked’’
Jim Molloy M.A.
Ph: 8725-1295
jimmolloy@ice.co.cr
Escazú - sessions available
online by Skype for those
outside of the Central Valley
Reasonable rates
14 | CLASSIFIEDS | THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012
1002 Commercial
Property
SN FRAN 2 RIOS.
100S from Park Okayama.
Const. 124 m2, ¢550K.
Tel. 5007-4442.
1003 Condominiums
ESCAZU, 2 bdr, 2 bath,
Jacuzzi, laundry, parking,
furnished, $920.
Tel. 2289-5482,
balconesdeescazu.com
1005 Houses
ATENAS. 3bdr., 2ba, ample
garage, cable. Beautiful sur-
roundings. Furnished $750
mo Tel. 8324-3766
C. COLON, mtn hse furn/
unfurn, 1-2 bdr, fireplace, ,
terrace, BBQ ranch, Internet,
panoramic, secure, fruit
trees, green areas, elec gate
$350-$500-$600.
Tel. 8354-8361
CARIARI, 2 brand new
houses, 4 bdr, 4 bath
(2 attach bath with walk-in
closet) study & TV area
cover terrace w/garden,
maid quarter. Furnished
$3,000/month.
Unfurnished $2,600/month.
Tel. 2228-5304
CARIARI, 3 bdrm, 3.5 bath,
Jacuzzi, furn, 24 hr. sec,
exotic wood finishings,
nice views. $900.
Tel. 8832-0288
ELECTRIC
GENERATOR
SDMO model JS40UCM-IV / Series JS40UCM4015430
3Excellent condition 3Like new.
Tel. 8318-4593, klcoto@yahoo.com
COTTAGE, 5 mins. from
Cartago, road to Irazu Volc.
Surrounded by view &
gardens, $300.
Tel. 2536-7165
ESCAZU, TREJOS MONT.
2 bd, 2 ba, 2,200 sq. ft., 3
levels, views, patio, garden,
modern style, high ceilings,
lots of glass, furnished. Rent
$1,650 or sell $295K.
Tel. 8997-1799/Ron
ESCAZU. Furn, 3 bdr, near
US school. Safe quiet kid-
friendly neighborhood.
Pets OK. $1,500/m.
Call in CR Tel. 8380-5032
susraine@gmail.com
HEREDIA mountains.
Million-dollar view. Secure,
fully furnished 2 bdrm, 2
bath cabin with bonus room.
Hot water, washer and dryer.
Cable and water included.
$500 per month.
Tel. 2266-0539
HEREDIA, EL TIROL,
beautiful country house w/
private forest & river, cozy,
secure, couple/retired,
10 min. from downtown
Heredia, unfur., cable & B’B’
Internet ready $650 month.
Tel. 919-574-5007
gsotoa@gmail.com
LOS ARCOS, 3 bdr, 2
bath, 2 car gar, elect gate,
$800mo w/2 FL.
Tel. 2235-6742
Make offers!
SABANILLA SJ. Beautiful
2 bdr, 2 bath, big garden,
terrace, garage. $1,250/mo
negotiable. Tel. 8302-4285
SAN JOSE de la Montaña,
Hdia, 2 bath, fireplace,
2 beds, water/elect, BBQ
ranch, ldry room, 900m2
patio w/small river,
$500/mo.
Tel. 8340-3765/2237-4375
TREJOS MONTEALEGRE,
Escazu. Short term, 3 bdr,
3.5 ba, 2-story, 2 gar, large
terr w/Jacuzzi, balcony w/
mountain view, semi-furn
(optional), 280 sq mts,
3,000 sq ft.
Tel. 506-4030-7400/
8666-2121. bo@hem.as.
Rent July- December 2012.
$1,600/mo
WOODEN CABIN
$350/mo, forested prop.
Tel. 5717-5973 Concepción,
San Rafael, Heredia
1006 Rooms
ROHRMOSER. Furn,
for fem, adults or student
Nice view. $220/mo.
Tel. 8324-7375
1008 Beach Houses
LOS SUEñOS, Herrradura
& Jaco Luxury Condo
Rentals! Fully furnished 1-2
& 3 bdrm condos, dly, wkly,
mthly. Best deal, long term.
Tel. 8847-4517/8338-1760
1100 REAL ESTATE 1106 Farms
FOR SALE
ALAJUELA, LA GARITA.
1102 Beach Property
68,291m2, $37/m2, front
FOR SALE 6 Hectares of
310 mts. Residential &
beautiful, ocean view with
industrial use.
Tel. 8375-4444
3,000 ten yr old teak trees.
$500,000 obo.
Tel. 8413-0142 BARGAIN! Selling cause
mgsenter2002@yahoo.com of economic issues. In front
of Isla del Caño. San Buenas
1103 Commercial Property
de Osa. South of CR, ocean
view, 10 mins from the
Unique beach. 23 hect. Was $5/mtr
now $3/mtr. Next to the
Opportunity biggest golf course in
Central America.
OLDE www.sbgr.com/multimarla
flordecostarica@hotmail.com
SAN JOSE Tel. 2239-7189/8391-5747
MAGNIFICENT 260 acres,
Talamanca mountains,
PZ. giant views, waterfall,
Three Star Hotel hydro-electric, 2 bdr. house,
Bar & Restaurant year-round access, Distress
sale price $375,000 firm!
• Bargain sale due to CR 8824-8113, 2771-8478
angelsdad@mac.com, http://
retirement
web.mac.com/angelsdad
• Turnkey operation
• In Historic Barrio Amón
• 22 rooms, w/private baths RIO CELESTE, spect view,
• Restaurant / Bar private access, pastures
& water, 42 Hect.
seats 100
¢136 mill finan available.
• Space for expansion 1,400m2, flat, fruit trees,
Tel. 2221-5998
for additional rooms emmo0707@hotmail.com
1107 Houses
hotelcastillosale
@gmail.com
ATENAS, Río Grande,
273m2, beautiful house &
garden, guest house, 2 story
Need a car? Don’t rancho, workshop, well, all
look far; find it in one acre, 45 min from SJ
& 1hr from Pacific coast.
the TT Classifieds
$395K. Tel. 2446-8291
ESCAZU, San Antonio.
525m2 const 1,440m2,
land $650K.
Tel. 8384-7393/2289-3014
ESCAZU x SANTA ANA,
4,000 sqft, 3 bed, 4 bath,
1,385 mts land, 370 mts
const. Beautiful home with
great valley view, Jacuzzi,
privacy, secure, etc. $299K
offers, can sell furn w/car.
r12cr@yahoo.com
GRECIA HOUSE. 3
bdrm, 1bath, quiet place,
great view, OPPORTUNITY!
$76,000. Call: 8796-2098.
Need some cash?
Sell it fast; with the
TT Classifieds
“To be a success in business,
be daring, be first, be different”
- Marchant -
Publish your
ad in the classified section of
Contact us today to check our rates,
promotions and packages.
classified@ticotimes.net
Tel. (506) 2258-1558
Fax. (506) 2233-6378
LAS PALMAS, Ciudad
Colon. 2 story, 3 bdr, 2.5 ba,
patio, 2 car park, elect gate.
$139K obo Tel. 2235-2176
PEREZ ZELEDON. San
Isidro downtown. Beautiful
home, 6 bdr, 2 ba, 4 car gar,
back patio, 189 mts const,
582 mts land, big kitchen,
2 big living rooms. Call:
Tel. 2771-6618/8938-5069
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND
that when advertising in
any media you are publish-
ing key information about
yourself, your property and/
or your services. Be careful
to screen the respondents to
your ad. Most of our readers
are genuinely looking for the
goods and services offered
in our classified section.
However, there may be some
who don’t have good inten-
tions. Be cautious.
SAN RAFAEL, Heredia,
337m2 lot, 190m2 const,
new, $200K. Tel. 2261-4220
1108 Lots/Property
ATENAS, STA EULALIA.
$60/m2. Tel. 2261-4220.
HEREDIA, Concepción
San Rafael, 7,200 m2,
exc view, $48/m2.
Tel. 2261-4220
SAN CARLOS, La Tigra
10,000 m2, house w/all
utilities. River and many
fruit trees. $117,000
Tel. 2438-0517/8335-1882
QUINTA
PARAISO
•ALAJUELA, SAN RAMON•
1 hect, 4 new cabins,
main house, ranch.
F 3 large ponds/ 7 springs
I 4 hatchery tanks
S catfish, tilapia, shrimp
H produce & sale
Camping, swimming pool,
fruit trees, flowers.
$450,000.
Tel: (506) 8935-4288
1109 Timeshares
PUNTA LEONA,
preferential membership,
transfer included $4,000
Tel. 8866-8888
1111 Quintas 1502 4X4’S
1999 FORD 350. Heavy
Duty, diesel, automatic, full
Drilling xtras, runs great. $18,000.
and Well Call Tel. 8765-4963 or
8623-8410.
service
2004 JEEP WRANGLER.
New clutch brakes,
warn winch, $17,000
Tel. 8671-9492
1504 Motorcycles
TEL: 2431-5015 YAMAHA V STAR. 650
www.puravidadrealling.com
Custom 1998 V&H pipes,
Mustang seat, Wshield,
1200 SERVICES P-tires & more. Looks great.
Escazú. $3,400/obo.
1201 Accounting
r12cr@yahoo.com
The new 1505 Rentals
Corporate Tax?
You know the
consequences of *CARS FOR
this law to your RENT*
corporations?
$135-$235 a week
Everything included!
Also SUVs available.
Call Andy or Aaron
We are a company
(506) 2282-7013
dedicated to the
Over 20 yrs serving the
advice of all matters
English speaking community.
concerning this law.
Skilled care and an
efficient process in
our services.
At Disol-tec we
can help you with all
your questions. DAILY!
Make an appointment. Sedan $36
Phone: 2221-8554 x4 Compact Suv. $49
4
or visit our website: 4
www.disoltec.cr 4x Mid size Suv. $59
with free miles daily!
Incl Insurance
Toll Free 1-800-580-3691
1203 Construction (506) 2296-9232
costarica-rentalcar.com
CONSTRUCT/Enlargemnts.
Renovations, Engineering
Tel. 8384-7393/2235-3014
4x4 FOR RENT, from $45
a day w/free miles & insur.
CR Tel. (506) 8891-1313
1205 Languages
www.506carrental.com
NEW! Speak Spanish.
Easy, no stress. 3-day PROMO: For every 4
classes in Costa Rica. weeks of publication
For details: we will give you
sloanjohnw@gmail.com, 1 extra week for FREE
spanishcoursecostarica.com
1300 TOURISM
1303 Bed & Breakfast
AMIGOS RENT A CAR.
Aut 4X4 hire from
BiBi’s B&B cTV, Inter,
$245/wk 5 seat. SUV’s
sgl $30, Dbl $45.
Tel. 2269-4702/8932-2235
Tel. 2244-7324
jptwomey@foxinternet.com
SASSO Rent a car.
Quality 4x4 for less.
1500 VEHICLES
Tel. 8827-2627.
1501 Autos www.sassorentacar.com
2001 HYUNDAI ACCENT,
exc condition, 2 door, RTV,
new tires, $5,700 neg.
TUCAN RENT A CAR
Tel. 7032-8717/8669-6927
Low rates. Tel. 8840-8501
www.tucanrentacar.com
My business
is only with BEWARE
The Tico Times OF
Classified ads.
My apartment
SCAMS!
Please be careful
when answering ads
buildings for giveaways. If you
are always full. are asked to send
–Carlos
Rodríguez
any money for a free
item, don’t do it and
please let us know
(Vista Linda immediately!
Apts) Owner
 THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012 | PUZZLES & WEATHER REPORT | 15

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CROSSWORD #650
Across 63 TV’s Warrior Princess 37 Missing a deadline
1 Novelist Bret Easton __ 65 Garlicky mayonnaise 38 Fleecy females
6 Skedaddled 66 Korean statesman 40 Regarding
10 Aardvark’s meal 67 Nile wader 41 Double curves
14 Rolls’s partner 68 Boca __ 44 Staved off
15 Caustic substance 69 Three feet 46 Roman emperor after Trajan
16 Boor 70 Add color to 48 Sartre classic
17 Freud contemporary 71 Wrong for the situation 50 1962 John Wayne film
18 Magnum follower 51 Blithe
19 “I’ve __ Secret” DOWN 52 Nebraska’s biggest city
20 More disreputable 1 History chapters 53 Send for consultation
22 Maigret’s creator 2 It’s in vein 55 Hearty meal
24 Dallas denizen 3 Golfer Sandy 57 Actress Mazar
26 Kitchen gadgets 4 Cold drink 59 Small amount
27 Edam, e.g. 5 Sequence 60 Hoofbeat sound
30 African ruminant 6 Botanists’ study 61 Whisper
32 Tennis star Garrison 7 Impertinence 64 Writer Anais
33 Snack bar 8 Flightless birds – Michael Curl
35 Aldrin’s craft 9 Actor and director Vittorio
39 Throw in 10 Neighbor of Morocco SOLUTION #649
40 They may be narrow 11 Peter of Herman’s Hermits
42 Uncooked 12 Teach
43 Express again 13 Kenton and Getz
45 Shanties 21 Company hotshots
46 “Women and Love” author 23 Is dejected
47 Phonograph records 25 Type of divorce
49 Sunglasses 27 Winter Palace resident
51 Actress/dancer Rita 28 Conceal
54 Step 29 Goals
56 Came forth 31 Held onto
58 Big bird 34 Sore
62 Whitewater transport 36 Grating

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 16 | NEWS | THE TICO TIMES – June 1-7, 2012

Attention Heredia Attention Southern

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