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A.M. Costa Rica third newspage
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San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2007, Vol. 7, No. 37

Scientists concerned by warmer temperatures for turtle eggs

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Scientists from the University of Exeter, England, say that if global warming occurs at predicted levels, marine turtles could be in serious trouble. The research was conducted on loggerhead turtles, a species that nests at the Parismina beach on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast. The turtles are also known by the Latin name Carreta carreta.

The team of experts, based at the university’s Cornwall campus, estimated that an increase in temperature of just one degree Celsius could completely eliminate the birth of male turtles from some beaches. A rise of three degrees Celsius would lead to extreme levels of infant mortality, they said.

The sex of marine turtle hatchlings is determined by the temperature of eggs during incubation, with warmer temperatures producing females and cooler conditions producing males. Temperatures during nesting also need to be at the right level for eggs to develop healthily and hatch successfully, said the university.

The research, which is published in the journal Global Change Biology, analyzed 26 years of loggerhead turtle nesting and climate data and compares the findings with models for future temperatures. The study shows just how vulnerable marine turtle populations are to changes in temperature, said the release.

“We are stunned by these results and what they could mean for the species in the future,” said Brendan Godley of the University of Exeter's School of Biosciences. “In particular,
we're concerned that populations that are already predominantly female could become 100 percent female if temperatures increase by just one degree," he said, adding:

"This is a major issue for nesting populations further south, in Florida, for example, where males are already in short supply.”

The research team recommends that conservation efforts are focused on protecting northern breeding grounds. While in Florida, 90 percent of hatchlings are female, in North Caroline 42 percent are male, said the release. Scientists believe some of these males currently travel south, bolstering southern populations. A decline in male turtles in northern populations, as a result of global warming, could potentially affect marine turtles across the continent, said the researchers.

Godley said, “In the face of climate change, it's essential that we prioritize the protection of sites that produce males not only for local breeding success, but to help support potentially vulnerable populations further south.”

The work was carried by the University of Exeter in partnership with the Bald Head Island Conservancy and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

Faithful Villalobos treasurer admits to having a bad memory

By Dennis Rogers
A.M. Costa Rica special correspondent

Banking executive-turned-campesino Federico Fallas took the stand at the Oswaldo Villalobos trial and told the court that he could remember very little of what happened in the final months of The Brothers investment operation and the Ofinter S.A. currency exchange.

Fallas took the stand in a wrinkled flannel shirt and jeans with the cuffs rolled up, and described himself as a “peon” on a farm in the Guácimo area. He gave a rambling account of his history, starting with his first job at the Banco de Costa Rica in 1974, where he eventually rose to become the general manager for foreign operations. He lost his job with a change of government in 1998, he said.

As he had made the acquaintance of Oswaldo Villalobos as a customer who was “highly esteemed at the bank,” Fallas was able to ask about work with him. “Come on Monday,” he quoted Villalobos. That was Aug. 17, 1998, the last time in about three hours of testimony he was easily able to remember a date or figure.

Fallas only worked for Oswaldo Villalobos at the currency exchange house downtown, as treasurer, he said. He had also been hired to work opening accounts overseas in the names of various corporations, but he couldn’t remember the names or dates and didn’t know what they were for. He had a power of attorney for this task, and remained in charge of the accounts. This meant signing large numbers of checks, sometimes 100-200 per month, but he didn’t know the destination of those funds, he said.

He did become concerned upon seeing the account statements with large numbers of checks he presumably had signed that had been returned for lack of funds. At that

point he took his attorney’s advice and voluntarily turned the documents over to investigators, not involuntarily as stated in a previous A.M Costa Rica article.

Fallas also invested with Luis Enrique Villalobos. When pressed by prosecutor Walter Espinoza, he managed to recall the amount, 17 to 19 million colons ($45-$50,000 in September 2002). At that point, he said, he was told his money “wasn’t needed anymore” and it was returned with interest.

As someone with a licenciatura in finance, he said he understood the risks that must be taken to produce such a high return but trusted the Villalobos brothers totally. Ultimately, his role was to do as he was told by Oswaldo, his boss. “A peon does what his boss tells him to,” he said. “If he’d told me to make ceviche, I’ll make ceviche.”

At one point during Fallas’ testimony presiding Judge Isabel Porras had to reprimand audience members to refrain from laughing or face expulsion from the courtroom.

Two investors, a married couple, also testified. Vilma Retana, gave $50,000 to Enrique Villalobos, having heard about him from a neighbor. She was unsure of most details. Her husband Raúl Soto, remembered it as $40,000 but was also vague on details. Judge Porras and Judge Manuel Rojas looked with some doubt at Soto’s new plastic residency identification card, apparently not one of the better ones.

A brief period before the witnesses arrived allowed the judges to read into the record some files relating to the seizure of documents at various locations. Among others, a raid at Bertrand St. Onge’s condo in Jacó produced some papers and a copy of Bob Marley’s “Legend” album, which perhaps explains the operation the St. Onge group ran to smuggle hashish from Jamaica to Canada.

Cantaloupe being sold in Costa Rica get a clean bill of health from Dole
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Good news for cantaloupe lovers in Costa Rica. Marty Ordman of the Dole Food Co., Inc. said that none of the Costa Rican cantaloupes that tested positive for salmonella is being sold here. He said that all of the fruit in question was grown by a third-party farmer in Costa Rica, but that	all of it was exported from the country to Dole suppliers. Dole has recalled 6,104 cartons of cantaloupe that were delivered to the eastern United States and Quebec, Canada. In an unrelated matter, David H. Murdoch, president of Dole, is scheduled to meet with President Óscar Arias Sanchéz at 3:30 p.m. today.

You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE!

DOS VISTAS . . . finally on the market...

Located literally on top of a ridge, a small mountain, the vistas are unequalled anywhere in the area.   Surrounded by mountains and volcanos, the panoramas stretch from the lights of San José and the Central Valley to the smaller towns further north, Sarchi, Naranjo, Atenas, and Palmares. This house and its location is truly one of a kind.

Dos Vistas is located just off of a well-
maintained public road only 10 minutes into the mountains overlooking Grecia.   The property consists of one manzana (almost two acres), private yet very accessible and convenient.   The property sits on a flyway for birds and flocks of parrots and literally hundreds of other species visit daily.

The home itself is spacious yet comfortable.   It consists of over 1,500 sq. feet, and over 300 sq. feet of tiled terraces.   There are two large bedrooms, each with its own bath.   The large living area, with larger two story cupola, is vaulted and the entire home features hardwood ceilings and gorgeous tiled floors. The kitchen is framed by custom cabinetry and granite counters. Just off of the kitchen, yet separate from the rest of the home is the pila or washroom. And two steps further is a rustic carport.

The home is surrounded by trees, coffee, grass and many varieties of shrubs. There is more than enough room for additional creativity, perhaps a pool, a jacuzzi, a larger garden, or a gazebo.

This home is truly one of a kind.   It is not huge. It is comfortable and the location is definitely pure Costa Rican.   Click HERE for additional pictures.

Come to Grecia and view Dos Vistas — before it is gone. $160,000

randy@cr-home.com toll free: 1-877-247-3014 local: 444-8716 or 841-5782

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San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2007, Vol. 7, No. 37

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