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Written by Rod Hughes
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Thursday, 19 August 2010 21:01 |
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The custom of giving San Jose directions in distance from landmarks instead of street and building numbers has been variously described as charming, confusing and downright stupid, as visitors, taxi drivers and new residents grope their way to their destinations.
But the days of numberless streets and buildings are numbered. Recently, San Jose Mayor Johnny Araya announced the capital is dedicating $1.2 million toward putting up street signs and numbering buildings.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 26 August 2010 23:06 |
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Written by Rod Hughes
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Thursday, 19 August 2010 18:53 |
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Potholed provincial roads have become such an irritation that now even Costa Rica's highest court is involved. Recently, the Court's Sala IV issued an order giving the Ministry of Public Works a year to repair the road between the Pacific coastal town of Montezuma and the rest of the Nicoya Peninsula.
Some might be surprised at such a far-off deadline as 12 months to solve such an urgent situation as a dangerous road in a tourism hot spot, but the judges are aware of the ministry's incredibly cumbersome contracting procedure.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 19 August 2010 23:07 |
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Written by Russ Martin
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Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:35 |
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Costa Rican Alejandro Ramirez won the US Open Chess Championship, which took place from July 31st to August 8th in Irvine, California. 470 players participated in the tournament including 8 Grand Masters. Alejandro became a Grand Master at the age of 15, one of the youngest Gran Masters ever to earn the title ( http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2003/diciembre/05/deportes0.html ).
The 22 year old Ramirez currently attends the University of Texas at Dallas on a scholarship, where he is studying for his Master's degree in Video Game design, earlier he earned a bachelor's degree there in the same field. Ramirez went undefeated in the tournament, with 7 victories and 2 draws. In an interesting twist, Ramirez was not necessarily planning on going to the tournament, since he has put his studies ahead of chess. But he is doing an internship in California with the video game company Blizzard Entertainment and decided to take advantage of the trip to participate in the US Open.
Although Ramirez had one of the highest ELO ratings in the tournament, he was not favored to win. He credited a strong start for his championship. Costa Rica is not know internationally for its chess playing, and Ramirez is already recognized as the nation's all-time great chess player. He joins Franklin Chang, Claudia Poll, and Nery Brenes, among others, as Ticos who have come out of nowhere and achieved international prestige in their fields.
Photos available at http://monroi.com/jerry-hanken-memorial-111th-annual-us-open-chess-championship-home.html
Full Tournament Story at US Chess Federation Events and Articles |
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 August 2010 16:27 |
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Written by Rod Hughes
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Tuesday, 17 August 2010 18:23 |
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"The rich get rich and the poor get poorer," goes a line in the old song and nowhere is that truer than in Latin America, which contains 10 of the 15 most economically imbalanced nations, according to the most recent UN Develpment Program (UNDP) study.
Costa Rica is better off than most in income distribution, placing just behind Uruguay in Latin America but off a bit from its former proud place as economically egalitarian. The country's Gini Coeffecient has declined to 0.42 from its enviable 0.38 in the l990s, a decline which UNDP's rep for Costa Rica Luiza Carvalho attributes to tax breaks for such economically important sectors as tourism and financial services.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:32 |
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Written by Rod Hughes
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Tuesday, 17 August 2010 17:26 |
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Although one should be cautious accepting the sincerity of politicians' promises, it appears that the Chinchilla Administration is serious about cutting red tape and backing small and medium-sized businesses.
Since President Laura Chinchilla took office, the theme of leveling the playing field for what Tico Times business writer Adam Williams calls "the little guys" has been constantly reiterated by cabinet members.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 August 2010 15:31 |
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