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| San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011, Vol. 11, No. 171 | |||||||||
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Another roadblock gets
tear gas from police By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Yet another group of unhappy residents blocked a roadway Monday, and Fuerza Pública officers ended up firing tear gas shells and making eight arrests. This time the protest was in Palmar Norte at the point where the Costanera Sur and the Interamericana highway meet. Traffic was blocked for several hours. The residents said they were protesting the government's failure to deliver on unspecified promises. Sunday officers used tear gas to break up a four-day-old blockade of the municipal dump in Pérez Zeledón. Residents there wanted the dump to stay closed. In both cases there were youngsters in the crowd of protesters. Monday residents used two buses to block the route. Some men struggled with police when they were arrested. Officers were in riot gear with see-through plastic shields. The highways are key north-south arteries for the country. Work continues on bridge that has been trouble spot By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Workmen were still at the bridge over the Río Virilla early today and planned to continue until about 6 a.m. This is the bridge on the General Cañas highway that the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad does not seem to be able to fix. Workmen were there much of the weekend. The bridge developed a loose piece of metal over an expansion joint, and many efforts to solve the problem have been in vane. The bridge has become a public joke. Finally in December, officials closed down the highway and rebuilt it completely. Now they say they did not provide enough reinforcing and the vibration from the traffic is causing the concrete to crumble exposing the rebars within the bridge deck. The work today was supposed to add more reinforcement with the bridge and seal the surface. The situation is so acute that officials announced this month that they would build a new bridge parallel to the existing one. Although officials did not say so, the possibility exists that there will be more work Tuesday night into Wednesday. Tot dies in gun mishap By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
An 8 year old and a 3 year old got their hands on a .40-caliber pistol Sunday night in Valle Verde de Corralillo in Cartago with tragic results. The 3 year old, who had the last name of Cordero, died en route to Hospital Max Peralta with a bullet wound in the head. The Judicial Investigating Organization said the weapon belonged to a security guard who was visiting the household. Outages planned for Pozos By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
If you can read this, you probably do not live in Pozos de Santa Ana. The Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz said it would be cutting power there today at 7:30 a.m. Some power will be cut in Santa Ana too, it said. Included in the outage will be the Pozos clinic and the Escuela República de Francia but not the Mas x Menos supermarket. Power will be off until about 3:30 p.m., the company said. \
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| San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011, Vol. 11, No. 171 | |||||||||
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Workers fill the molds to make tapas de dulce, the traditional way of bringing local sugar to market. |
 Servicios
Periodísticos Globales file photo
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| Vanishing sugar cane mill sparks historic
interest |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Costa Rican historians are mourning the passing of the trapiche, the device used to squeeze the juice from sugar cane. A recent seminar revealed that at one time in the canton of Alajuela there were 60 trapiches, but now there is none. The academic Orlando Morales Matamoros directed the discussion at the Universidad Estatal a Distancia with the aim of promoting the rescue of this important piece of the country's history. One device is on exhibit at the Museo Nacional. The older devices were powered by oxen or other animals. They would crush the cane and capture the juice that would then be boiled and converted into dulce de tapa, a sugar product that still is called for in many Costa Rican recipes. According to Morales, as reported by the university, there were 1,664 trapiches or cane mills powered by animals in 1914, 107 powered by hydraulics and eight powered by steam. Although the traditional view is of a mill powered by oxen, producers here quickly learned that other methods were more efficient, sometimes by three times, said Morales. Many of the mills were family affairs providing the sweet cakes of dulce de tapa for the neighborhood. Alajuela was a prime location because of the sugar cane fields. The Mercado Central was said to be a hub. According to Morales several factors combined to reduce the need for these mills. The first was a change in agriculture in the 1950s that favored coffee production. Then there was the advent of granulated white sugar. In addition, now much of Costa Rica's cane becomes guaro, the clear alcohol made by the Fábrica Nacional de Licores. |
 A.M. Costa Rica file photo
Minor Cerdas uses his power
trapiche during a 2005 event in Desamparados.The cane is hauled to the plant by tractor and flatbed wagons with high side stakes. There are a few trapiches in various parts of the country, mainly for demonstrations in ecotourism facilities. Smaller versions can be seen at fairs and carnivals. A portable device takes in one piece of cane at a time and produces a juice with a unique flavor for sale. That is a step up from just sucking on a piece of sugar cane. The original device came from the Old World olive press. Such devices for cane were well established in Costa Rica by the middle of the 18th century, according to a summary of Morales' talk. There are plans to immortalize the device with an auidiovisual presentation. An Argentine firm markets wine under the Trapiche label, suggesting that the setup also was used for a grape press. Dulce de tapa still is available in most Costa Rican supermarkets, but its unlikely that oxen had a role. |
| More immigration categories will be
getting secure cédulas |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Legal foreign workers, students and volunteers will be getting a cédula instead of just an imprint in their passport. They will have a document very similar to those carried by permanent residents, pensionados and rentistas, said the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería. The agency said it wanted to deliver a secure document and one with a unique number identifying the holder. The plastic cédulas will be produced by the highly secure Dimex system that is now in use at the immigration offices. The current cédulas carry a photo of the individual and |
personal data encoded into
a strip that can be read by computer. Certain categories of persons can obtain a work permit in Costa Rica. These include domestic employees, construction workers and those with special skills. In addition, students, researchers, volunteers, teachers and even victims of human trafficking have the right to stay in Costa Rica. The documents will be issued each year, said the agency. There are about 20,000 persons now in the country legally in these so-called special categories. The estimated annual cost for the cédula will be $98, the agency said. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011, Vol. 11, No. 171 | |||||||||
| Tiny critters may spell new hope for
endangered amphibians |
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By the Oregon State University news service
Zoologists at Oregon State University have discovered that a freshwater species of zooplankton will eat a fungal pathogen which is devastating amphibian populations around the world, including Costa Rica. This tiny zooplankton, called Daphnia magna, could provide a desperately needed tool for biological control of this deadly fungus, the scientists said, if field studies confirm its efficacy in a natural setting. The fungus, B. dendrobatidis, is referred to as a chytrid fungus, and when it reaches high levels can disrupt electrolyte balance and lead to death from cardiac arrest in its amphibian hosts. One researcher has called its impact on amphibians the most spectacular loss of vertebrate biodiversity due to disease in recorded history. The research, reported in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation, was supported by the National Science Foundation. “There was evidence that zooplankton would eat some other types of fungi, so we wanted to find out if Daphnia would consume the chytrid fungus,” said Julia Buck, a doctoral student in zoology and lead author on the study. “Our laboratory experiments and DNA analysis confirmed that it would eat the zoospore, the free-swimming stage of the fungus.” “We feel that biological control offers the best chance to control this fungal disease, and now we have a good candidate for that,” she said. “Efforts to eradicate this disease have been unsuccessful, but so far no one has attempted biocontrol of the chytrid fungus. That may be the way to go.” The chytrid fungus, which was only identified in 1998, is not always deadly at low levels of infestation, Buck said. It may not be necessary to completely eliminate it, but rather just reduce its density in order to prevent mortality. Biological controls can work well in that type of situation. Amphibians have been one of the great survival stories in Earth’s history, evolving about 400 million years ago and surviving to the present while many other life forms came and went, including the dinosaurs. But in recent decades the global decline of amphibians has reached crisis proportions, almost certainly from multiple causes that include habitat destruction, pollution, increases in ultraviolet light due to ozone depletion, invasive species and other issues. High on the list, however, is the chytrid fungus that has been documented to be destroying amphibians around the world, through a disease called chytridiomycosis. |
 Oregon State University photo
Researchers have confirmed that
this zooplankton, Daphni magna, will eat a form of the deadly fungus.Its impact has been severe and defied various attempts to control it, even including use of fungicides on individual amphibians. Chytridiomycosis has been responsible for unprecedented population declines and extinctions globally, the researchers said in their report. “About one third of the amphibians in the world are now threatened and many have gone extinct,” said Andrew Blaustein, a professor of zoology, co-author on this study and an international leader in the study of amphibian decline. “It’s clear there are multiple threats to amphibians, but disease seems to be a dominant cause,” he said. Although they have survived for hundreds of millions of years, amphibians may be especially vulnerable to rapid environmental changes and new challenges that are both natural and human-caused. They have a permeable skin, and exposure to both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Because of this, OSU researchers said, other animals such as mammals, birds and fish have so far not experienced such dramatic population declines. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011, Vol. 11, No. 171 | ||||||||||
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| Méxican police detain five in casino killings By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Mexico has arrested five alleged members of the Zetas drug cartel suspected of starting a casino fire that left 52 people dead in the northern state of Nuevo León. The state governor, Rodrigo Medina, said Monday the suspects have confessed to involvement in the killings and that authorities are looking for others involved in the attack on the Casino Royale in the capital, Monterrey. Officials are investigating whether the attack was in retaliation for the casino not paying extortion money. Thursday armed men carrying a flammable liquid burst into the casino and set the place on fire. Many of the victims were found inside the casino's bathrooms, where they fled to escape the gunmen, but were instead trapped by smoke and fire. Mexican President Felipe Calderón declared three days of mourning after the attack. He condemned the violence as barbaric and said it was the worst attack on innocent civilians in Mexico in a long time. Mexico also offered a reward of $2.4 million for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. Irene leaves floods in wake as it moves into Canada By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. authorities say massive flooding has affected parts of the country's northeast, one day after a weakening Hurricane Irene swept through the region. U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Craig Fugate said Monday that flooding has reached record levels in the states of Vermont and New York. Rivers and creeks in both states burst their banks, producing torrents of water that swept away trees, cars and parts of historic bridges. Hundreds of residents fled to shelters. Irene first hit the United States Friday, making landfall in the state of North Carolina, before moving along the mid-Atlantic coast on Saturday and weakening into a tropical storm over New England on Sunday. Authorities reported 33 storm-related deaths in 10 eastern states, mostly from falling trees, road accidents and raging floodwaters. Experts say the damage is likely to total billions of dollars. Fugate said it is too early to give an official estimate because federal, state and local authorities still are assessing the destruction. Fugate said about 5 million homes and businesses on the East Coast remained without power Monday, down from 6 million the day before. Utilities say it will take days to restore electricity to many of those customers. Forecasters downgraded Irene to a post-tropical storm early Monday as it moved over eastern Canada. Authorities said strong winds and heavy rain from the storm knocked out power to about 250,000 homes and businesses in Quebec and Canada's Atlantic provinces. One man was missing after floodwaters swept away a car northeast of Montreal. Irene's center passed over New York, but spared the city major damage. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday the city's airports have re-opened and a memorial to the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks will open on schedule next month. But he also said about 1,000 people were in shelters and 38,000 people were without power. More telenovelas made in U.S. for Latin viewers By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Hispanic television networks in the United States are ramping up domestic production of Spanish-language programming. Traditionally, most Spanish-language programs were brought-in from Central and South America. But now, talk shows and telenovelas are increasingly being made in the US. “Mi Corazón Insiste” is a telenovela currently being filmed in Miami. The soapy love-story airs on the U.S. network Telemundo. Cynthia Olavarria has starred in four telenovelas and is playing in this one. She says, for viewers, the shows are a form of escapism. "I think that's part of the magic of the novellas," said Ms. Olavarria. "We have many problems in our personal lives or your job or anything else, and then you go to see something different." “Mi Corazón” is one of a growing number of dramas being produced in the United States in Spanish. Some have even become among the top ten most watched shows. Media analyst Adam Jacobson says census figures show that Hispanics account for 16 percent of the U.S. population and their numbers account for the growth in Spanish-language TV. Plus the telenovelas are shown in Latin America. Telemundo used to import most of its telenovelas. Now it is making many of its own. Two are currently in production at its Miami studios. Each televovela has about 120 episodes and takes six months to complete. “Mi Corazón Insiste's” director is Leonardo Galavis. He says even though subtitles are sometimes offered, people who speak only English have not for the most part embraced telenovelas. "Americans, they have a different culture, they have a different approach to television," said Galavis. "Their prime time shows are like series. For us we don't have series, we have soap-operas." Nevertheless, telenovelas are often the most popular shows in America with young adults, a coveted demographic. Kantar Media, a research company, says Hispanic TV advertising totaled $5.3 billion in 2010, up almost 11 percent from 2009 and outpacing growth in other types of commercials. With the ability to produce programming in a hurry, Spanish-language networks appear happy to follow a formula that continues to pull in big audiences. Spanish-language soap operas are different from U.S. version in that they have a finish where the story line is resolved, the good people flourish and the bad are punished. U.S. shows go on for years. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011, Vol. 11, No. 171 | ||||||||||
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Latin America news |
Costa Rican workers in U.S. get more job protection Special
to A.M. Costa Rica
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis has signed joint declarations and letters of arrangement with Ambassador Aníbal de Castro of the Dominican Republic, Ambassador Muni Figueres Boggs of Costa Rica and Ambassador Francisco Altschul of El Salvador to protect the labor rights of migrant workers from those countries who are employed in the United States. The ambassadors of México, Nicaragua and Guatemala, who previously signed agreements with the Labor Department, also participated in the ceremony. The event was held on the first day of Labor Rights Week, during which the Labor Department and a network of 50 Mexican consulates across the country work together to educate migrant workers and their employers. "Our goal is to help workers and employers understand that labor laws are enforced and enforceable, giving everyone the opportunity to comply with the U.S. laws that cover all workers," said Secretary Solis. "Most employers take seriously their obligation to abide by the basic labor laws of this country. Today's signing ceremony will ensure that important information on wages, health and safety rights are available to more workers, enabling them to be more knowledgeable and ultimately more productive, with a vested interest in the success of their employers." Under the declarations, the embassies and consulates of the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and El Salvador will cooperate with the regional enforcement offices of the Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and its Wage and Hour Division to distribute information about U.S. health, safety and wage laws. In conjunction with the declarations, letters of agreement were signed stating that the Wage and Hour Division will protect the rights of migrant workers in low-wage industries such as hospitality and agriculture, while the Occupational Safety and Health Adminsitration will continue efforts to improve workplace safety and health conditions as well as provide outreach and assistance to Spanish-speaking workers and employers. A weeklong series of training events, workshops and information-sharing on the rights and responsibilities of workers will be held across the country. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, U.S. employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. The Wage and Hour Division enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, record-keeping and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act and other federal labor laws. |
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