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Oct
1
Some Good Road News!
October 1, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Government and Politics | 3 Comments
The good news below (my translation) comes to us from Rolando Soto, the president of our local tourism chamber of commerce (CATCAS) which has been working hard on a number of issues, including pressuring government to take action on our dangerous, dusty and bone-jarring road between Hone Creek and Puerto Viejo.
Finally JAPDEVA (Junta de Administración Portuaria y Desarrollo Económica de la Vertiente Atlántica or the Board of Port Administration and Economic Development for the Atlantic Coast) has made good on the offer they made 3 months ago to repair and pave 2 kilometers of the road between Puerto Viejo and Hone Creek. During the last 3 days, their equipment has been working to prepare the surface of the road for these 2 km that are between Hone Creek and approximately the Hotel Hawa. We will have to continue fighting to ensure that the remaining 4 km are paved and, in the short term, repaired.
The original in Spanish read:
Finalmente JAPDEVA cumplio con su ofrecimiento hecho hace tres meses de arreglar y asfaltar al menos dos kilometros de la carretera entre Hone Creek y Puerto Viejo. Hace 3 diss maquinaria de ese ente comenzo los trabajos de preparacion de la superficie a fin de posteriormente asfaltar esos 2 diolometros que estan entre Hone Creek y aproximadamente el Hotel Hawa.. Tendremos que seguir luchando para que el resto de este tramo de aprox. 4 kilometros tambien sea reparado en el corto plazo.
Thank you CATCAS for your hard work!
Aug
9
Recycle Clean Plastic Grocery Store Bags at ATEC
August 9, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Environment | Leave a Comment
ATEC will now accept clean plastic grocery bags for recycling at their office. Look for the box near the entry.
They will be used by a women’s group that weaves them into handbags and other products for sale and then further support of their activities.
Bags that look like this:
Will be transformed into this:
The finished product can also be purchased at ATEC.
Thanks to Greencoast News for the heads up.
May
31
Committee Against Marina Seeks Residents to Sign Petition
May 31, 2008 | Tags: Community Calendar, Community News, Economic Development, Government and Politics | 1 Comment
| June 1, 2008 | ||
| 2:00 pm | to | 4:00 pm |
The anti-marina movement has prepared a petition with the help of a lawyer for which they are urgently seeking signatures this weekend in order to present it to the national government on Monday.
The movement, which is now known as the “Comité Unidos por Talamanca y Caribe Sur” with the goal of continuing to lobby for sustainable development of the area, plans to present the petition as soon as possible as they have found out that the Congress has the issue of the marina law on the agenda for the coming week. Congress is proposing to amend laws in such a way that would allow investors to get a provisional concession from the Municipalicity and Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT) and a go ahead from the environmental ministry prior to the completion of a full environmental review. With this provisional concession, the investors would be able to start the project without waiting for their official concession and the full review of their plans.
The proposals before congress is intended to “speed up investments” in Costa Rica.
Puerto Viejo area legal residents, i.e. those holding a cédula de residencia or Costa Rican cédula, are invited to sign the petition.
| Update: The committee will have people going around collecting signatures this weekend. The letter can also be signed at Lourdes’s little clothes shop next door to ATEC. The next meeting of the committee is on Sunday, 1st of June at 2 PM at the Centro Pro Niño behind the PV school. |
May
13
MEPE raises bus rates on Limon - Manzanillo Route
May 13, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Government and Politics | 1 Comment
The fare increase that MEPE applied for in April from ARESEP (Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos) is now coming into effect.
The rate between Limón and Puerto Viejo will go up from 1,510 colones to 1,815 colones. MEPE routes between Limon and Bananito and San Andres will also go up.
More: La Nación: Ocho empresas de autobuses impugnan alza en pasajes.
Apr
19
Marina and Environmental Concerns Draw National and International Media Attention
April 19, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Economic Development, Environment | 5 Comments
 Tourists watch for monkeys along the canals of Tortuguero National Park. Government reports released last fall revealed that 97 percent of Costa Rica’s sewage flows untreated into rivers, streams, or the ocean. Photo by David Sherwood, courtesy of the Christian Science Monitor |
The hot issues of development and the environment and the way they are being played against each other continue to draw a lot of media attention to the Puerto Viejo area.
The Tico Times again features the story this week as their Top Story. The article, entitled Puerto Viejo Marina Plan Eyed Warily by Natives, discusses the effect that the marina project would have on the local Bri Bri people. The article proposes that the project could not only damage the low-key ecotourism that the area has developed on but could also herald the disappearance of Talamanca’s other resource, the indigenous culture.
Timoteo Jackson, a native Bribrí leader, is quoted as saying, “for us indigenous, this is only a bad thing.
“Right now, we have tourists coming to see nature, conservation and the indigenous way, but this will stop if the marina comes.”
The influential Christian Science Monitor recently weighed in on the struggle to find a balance between sustaining nature and continuing economic development in Costa Rica. The article, entitled Costa Rica sees tourism’s environmental dark side, goes into the water quality problems that recently caused the shutdown of several large hotels on the Pacific and the loss of blue flag status for a number of Costa Rica’s beaches, including our own Playa Negra.
The article strikes an alarming tone: “In the past decade, construction of hotels, second homes, and condominiums has surged in coastal regions, taking advantage of a vacuum in planning and enforcement. The total land area that has been developed grew 600 percent in that time, according to a government report. As a result, the biodiversity that has long lured visitors is disappearing, say scientists. Monkey and turtle populations are plummeting, and infrastructure is strained to a near breaking point.”
But it does go on to acknowledge that, despite all the problems, ”Costa Rica remains decades ahead of its neighbors” in environmenal protection and that the goverment “seems increasingly willing to listen.”
Televison news has not shied away from coverage either as this TV news report shows:
If you can’t view the video on this page, click here to see it on YouTube.
Apr
15
ATEC Plans 70km Trans-Talamanca Fundraising Trek
April 15, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Helping Out | Leave a Comment
For more than ten years ATEC’s guide, Zenon from Alta Talamanca, has offered the “Trans-Talamanca Trek,” a 70 km mountainous challenge.
Along with being an experienced guide on the ancient trail though the Talamancas, Zenon is a community organizer in his small town of Coroma where construction on the “Casa de Esperanza” was started in 2004. The Casa is a dream to give the kids from his small community a head start. The frame of the Casa was built in 2004 with a grant from Glenn Scarborough but then the floods in January 2005 wiped out all the work he had done, along with wiping out any extra time or hope to keep it going.
“Many of our kids don’t speak Spanish,” Zenon explained, “many don’t have the basic concepts of mathematics or even counting. If we can give them a head-start before they leave home to attend school, they will have more confidence and more success.”
Now Glenn and Zenon are revitalized to re-initiate the project. “If we can raise $1,100,” Glenn said, “we can re-build the Casa, get school supplies and books to them, and the kids of Coroma will have a chance to be prepared when they are ready to head off to go to school in Amubri”.
As a way to help raise funds to complete the building and buy the supplies for our neighbors and the children of Coroma, ATEC is offering an opportunity to experience an amazing trek across the continental divide in the Talamanca Mountain range, through pristine original growth rainforest and cloudforest, with a Cabecar native and experienced guide from Coroma, Talamanca. Led by Zenon, this 70km journey would take you up the Caribbean slope through wonderful and dense forest landscapes, past rarely seen rainforest waterfalls, over windswept peaks as high as 2700 meters and to the indigenous community of Ujarrás on the Pacific slope of the Cordillera de Talamanca.
Proceeds from this trip will be dedicated to helping finish the building and purchase supplies for the Children’s Center, La Casa de Esparanza, in the community of Coroma.
Non-hikers are also welcome to donate. All donations will be completely transparent and posted through ATEC’s email list during the fund drive and on Greencoast.com after the deadline.
The trip is planned for early May, it takes between 5 and 15 days and it ain’t easy. Write to atecmail@gmail.com to sign up, with questions, or to donate.
If you’d like to donate with a credit card, Puerto Viejo Satellite is offering to process credit card donations and cover all bank fees so that 100% of your donation will go towards the project. You can do so on the Donate Page.
For more on this: Greencoast News: Fundraising Trek for “Head Start” Program in Alta-Talamanca.
Apr
4
CATCAS announces board executive for 2008-2010
April 4, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Local Business News | Leave a Comment
CATCAS, the South Caribbean Tourism and Business Board would like to present its new board that was elected in the assembly of members this past January 28th:
Presidente: Lic Rolando Soto Jiménez
Primer Vice Presidente: Sr. Edward Joseph Ryan ,
Segunda Vice Presidente: Sra. Leda Villa Porras,
Tesorero: Sr Frank León Chang,
Secretario: Sr. José Guido Bizet Delgado ,
Pro Secretario. Sr. Dennis Clark Bell,
Vocal Primero: Sra. Jacqueline Lewis Burker
Vocal Segundo: Sra. Marta Castro Bolaños,
Vocal Tercero: Sr. Junio Ortiz Navas,
Vocal Cuarto: Sr. Jason T. Ficociello.
Vocal Quinto: Sra. Silvia Rivera Guevara
Fiscal Primero: Sra. Gloria Gavioli
Fiscal Segundo: Sr. Mario Torres Madrigal.
CATCAS is involved in a huge variety of projects to promote and improve our area. They have done projects and continue to work in the areas of:
- Cultural and Educational Projects
- Security
- Promotion of the Area
- Health and Infrastructure
- Environment and Sustainability
The list of projects they have initiated or supported is huge! (See the document - in Spanish). If you’d like more information or to get involved with this organization contact turismocaribesur@yahoo.com.
And if anyone involved in those projects or in upcoming ones would like to write about them for the Talamanca News, we’d love to publish it!
Feb
1
Municipality Announces Marina Meeting for February 12
February 1, 2008 | Tags: Community Calendar, Community News | 1 Comment
| February 12, 2008 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 1:00 pm |
The municipal government has responded to the letter signed by over 200 local residents asking them to hold a public audience in Puerto Viejo in order explain the proposed Marina project to the community (The Talamanca News, Jan 23, Court Action Threatened to Block Marina).
 Ol’aba Dance Group performing after the Paddleboard race that was held on Saturday the 26th to raise awareness about the concerns the community has about the marina project |
They will hold a the session about the “Marina New World” on Tuesday, February 12th at 10AM in the Casa Cultura in Puerto Viejo center. The community is welcome to attend and ask questions.
To get involved with the committee that’s working to organize questions about the marina please call don Guido at 756 8165 or write to atecmail@gmail.com if you have information to share or drop by ATEC´s offices to get a version of the plans filed by the developer.
Reported by: Greencoast News: Muni Annouces Marina Meeting February 12.
Jan
26
What’s Being Built on Main St?
January 26, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Local Business News | Leave a Comment
 Construction site on Calle Principal |
Anyone who’s been down Calle Principal in Puerto Viejo over the last few months has seen the large construction site where Chili Rojo used to be located. Perhaps you’ve been wondering what this large new space will be and how it will fit into our community?
Sources tell us it’s a “mini-mall” type of project planned by owner Chris Whitman. Of course, this being Puerto Viejo it won’t be a 7-11 and a gas station but small local businesses who want to expand and get new modern spaces to work in. The project is also said to be planning a large inner courtyard with many plants and perhaps some sort of water feature.
The biggest tenant will be Chili Rojo who will move back into the space when it was done with a huge new 300+ square meter restaurant on the 2nd floor. On the ground floor, plans are for 8 stores around the courtyard. We’ve heard that Chili Rojo owner Andrew is also planning a premium style coffee shop on the main floor with espresso machine and no doubt lots of tasty treats. Exploradores is also planning to move into the space with a new booking office for their rafting and other trips. So is Luna de Febrero which will sell souvenirs out of the site. An art gallery, another souvenir shop, a spa with massage and perhaps a bodega may round out the offerings that will be in place.
The site also has a parking area over by Cabinas Grant for customers of the merchants.
The site is being built by local contractor Tony, who also built Hotel Banana Azul as well as 37 houses at last count!
Best guesses for opening? Well estimates we’ve heard have ranged from May to September.
Jan
12
Tourism Chamber CATCAS Reorganizes; Opens it’s Doors Wider
January 12, 2008 | Tags: Community Calendar, Community News, Tourism | Leave a Comment
| January 28, 2008 | ||
| 3:30 pm | to | 5:30 pm |
The local Chamber of Commerce/Tourism (Camara de Turismo del Caribe Sur or CATCAS) has announced some changes which were approved in their general meeting in October.
 Local artisans are invited to join CATCAS |
1) The new CATCAS will accept tourism-related business as before but also now is inviting all other businesses or artisans operating throughout the region to join;
2) They will now be representing the communities/subregions of Cahuita, Hone Creek, Upper Talamanca, Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo;
3) They will nominate a new executive council which will have representatives from all of the communiites/sub-regions.
4) Each sub-region as well will nominate a commisson of persons from that community who will present to the excecutive council the issue or problems that require attention, and
5) They will establish a foundation (FUNDAPROCARIBE) with persons of integrity, honesty and prestige. This foundation’s fundamental objective will be to raise funds and donation for specific educational and social projects in our communities.
They are inviting everyone who would like to become part of the new CATCAS or who would just like to know more to come to a meeting Monday January 28 at 3:30pm at the Casa de la Cultura in Puerto Viejo.
This information was supplied by and more information can be solicited from Rolando Soto J., the president of CATCAS.
Dec
12
Most Attendees at Marina Meeting Oppose Plans; Experts Highlight Risks
December 12, 2007 | Tags: Community News, Environment | 22 Comments
 A poster produced by one resident showing what Puerto Viejo could look like with increased development. Photo by Anne Clark, courtesy A.M. Costa Rica |
Saturday’s meeting at the Casa Cultural about the proposed marina at Playa Negra brought out about 60 people, mostly from the expat community. They came to hear several experts who had looked at the plans and came to give information on the risks that the marina could bring to the environment. The people attending the meeting were generally opposed to the project - a similar results to online comments on The Talamanca News where comments have run 14 to 1 against the project.
Several expert witnesses spoke on the possible environmental damage that this project could cause. Puerto Viejo lies between two protected areas, Parque Nacional Cahuita to the north and Refugio Gandoca Manzanillo to the south. Both contain important living reefs. Engineer Jose Alvarado highlighted in his speech that toxic products such as paint and oil used in the maintenance of the boats, along with an increase in sewage and pollution, could damage marine life in these two areas. Oceanographer Guillermo Quiros then questioned a report produced for the developers by Watermark S.A., and said that the firm’s study of the currents does not correspond with reality. He raised concerns that the breakwaters detailed by the plans, some of which will be 6 meters in height, could destroy the Salsa Brava, Costa Rica’s biggest and most powerful surf wave.
Other speakers were concerned about the economic impacts of the marina; that the high-brow marina customers would neither patronize existing Puerto Viejo businesses nor fit into the feel of the community. “The marina is going to be its own community,” said Jose Bizet Delgado, the meeting’s organizer. “It will include a commercial area with supermarkets, five-star hotels, restaurants and casinos. The people who come here on their yachts will not come into the town to use the services of local businesses.”
 Dana Gibson at the local Heladeria. Photo by Helen Thompson, courtesy A.M. Costa Rica |
“Rich people aren’t going to eat in little stores,” said language teacher Dana Gibson, a Californian who has been living in Puerto Viejo for four years. Everyone here will get bought out, and it will become Miami. We’re right on the edge – either we’ll be taken like everywhere else, or we’ll do it right.”
But not everyone in the community opposes the project. The developer claims that the local (i.e. Tico and Afro-Caribbean not expat) community overwhelmingly supports the project: “People up in Escazú live like they’re in the First World, but people in Talamanca live like they are in Uganda. 90 percent of the community in Puerto Viejo want this to happen. This is a community project with Costa Rican investors and it will be an ecological project that takes care of its environment,” said Walter Coto Molina, the developers’ lawyer and a former government minister.
“The marina is a necessity for Talamanca, Talamanca is the poorest zone of Costa Rica and this project is essential for its development.”
Coto did not attend the meeting.
Local residents look forward to the jobs that would be provided by the marina and to the more well-heeled tourists who they feel might spread their money around more liberally. The problem is that this experience has not been borne out in other developments - generally mega-developments for wealthy tourists leave little positive impact on the local community and import most of their workers as well. The kind of development that has taken place to date in Puerto Viejo is one that locals have the most opportunity to participate in as entrepreneurs and business owners, not just as maids and security guards.
Neither is everyone in the expat community against the project. Tina Stavest, owner of Jammin Juice and Jerk Joint, a restaurant situated near the development site, said: “I come from the coast of Canada, and we have hundreds of marinas there. They can fit in wonderfully if they are done right. There’s no reef here — the run-off from the banana plantations killed it long ago. Puerto Viejo was a harbor a long time ago when it was settled, and now it will be one again,” she said.
Opponents of the project face an uphill battle. While the marina plans have not yet been approved, as the developers have not completed an environmental impact study, the Municipalidad de Talamanca has declared its “marked interest in the execution of the marina plans” as a benefit to the economic and touristic development of the area. The opposition must now try to prove that the reef nearest to Playa Negra is still alive, and to continue pushing for Puerto Viejo to be declared a city, as this will give it an increased ability to influence the proceedings.
With contributions from: A.M. Costa Rica: Some Puerto Viejo expats feel threatened by marina.
Dec
11
Christmas Gifting Program
December 11, 2007 | Tags: Community News, Helping Out | Leave a Comment
 Gifts from last year’s program being transfered to a canoe for the journey |
It’s December and ATEC thought they’d give you the opportunity to be generous to your neighbors again.
Last year they had a very successful impromptu gift drive. The community came through and they had THREE carloads of gifts that went up to some friends in remote areas in Alta-Talamanca by Coroma.
This year they will send gifts up to that community again but also hope to expand to other communities. ATEC’s Vice President was Talamanca’s Diputado (senator) and therefore had the opportunity to get to know the communities in our canton that often get little attention; they hope to get materials into some of those communities.
They have had a good start, some friends of Talamanca have gotten together a whole container-load of good condition kids clothing that’s on the way!
So, while good-condition, clean, used products are appreciated, they are also suggesting practical items such as:
- School supplies—see official list of required school supplies from the Ministry of Education
- Non-perishable food
- Soccer, baseball, biking or sports equipment
- First aid supplies–band aides and Neosporin even.
- Tools
- Art supplies
If you have a vehicle and want to help transport the materials in late December, please let ATEC know.
ATEC promises a complete and transparent report after the drive. If you want to donate cash, you can be assured you’ll get a receipt and a full report of what the money was spend on. To donate by credit card, you can donate on the Puerto Viejo Satellite donation page. Puerto Viejo Satellite and The Talamanca News will cover all credit card processing fees and pass 100% of your donation on to ATEC for the drive.
Materials can be dropped off at ATEC (view on map) or at El Puente-The Bridge (view on map).
Dec
5
Hi Speed Internet Coming South of Puerto Viejo?
December 5, 2007 | Tags: Community News, Local Business News | Leave a Comment
Local sources tell me that ICE is stringing new cable from Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo. As locals well know, hi speed ADSL Internet arrived in Cahiuta and Puerto Viejo almost a year ago (previously available only with very expensive satellite connections) but communities to the southeast of Puerto Viejo such as Cocles, Punta Uva and Manzanillo, were out of luck, still stuck on dial-up. But this new cable may be what they’ve been waiting for. These same sources tell me that ADSL may be available as early as February. Of course, deadlines always seem to slip in Costa Rica so we’re keeping our fingers crossed.
Dec
2
Meeting to discuss Marina set for Saturday
December 2, 2007 | Tags: Community Calendar, Community News | 1 Comment
| December 8, 2007 | ||
| 2:00 pm | to | 5:00 pm |
On Saturday, 8 December, at the Community Center at 2 pm there will be a meeting on the proposed Playa Negra marina.
Biologists will be on hand to discuss impacts, etc.
Please spread the word and come show an interest.
| Update 06Dec07: There has been some confusion over what this meeting is and is not. It is NOT the hoped-for meeting with the municipality that residents have been asking for. We are still asking for that. So municipality representatives are not expected to be on hand. Unfortunately, representatives of the developer are not expected to come either. This is simply a forum for residents to discuss what is known of the plans with some experts who have been brought in. |
Oct
27
ReciCaribe now recycles batteries!
October 27, 2007 | Tags: Community News, Environment | Leave a Comment
ReciCaribe has announced that they will now being recyling a number of new items:
- Used Batteries (from flash lights, radios, etc)
- Used Ink Cartridges
- Broken Down Cellular Phones
These items can be brought to the ATEC office for recycling. You can download ReciCaribe’s flyer and print it as a reminder of all the products they recycle here.
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