Pelada’s Fiestas Raised Little Money for Water Connections

Photo by Pinar Istek

According to Duarte Rojas, 345.000 colones ($690) was collected during the fiestas, which represent a 10% of the total amount the 36 families need to pay for their water hookups. Read full article here.

Legislators Ask for Orozco’s Resignation as President of Human Rights Commission

Several legislators demanded their colleague Justo Orozco, evangelical lawmaker, resign as President of the Human Rights Commission of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica. Read full article here.

NY Students are Back and Working Hard to Finish Recycling Center

Photo by Giardano Ciampini

In order not to loose momentum of the construction of the new recycling center in Nosara, the students from the New York Institute of Technology decided to return to Nosara for the first three weeks in January to get as close as they can to completion. Read full article here.

New Bridge To Chinampas Inaugurated

With singing and dancing, chicharron and carne asada, on Saturday, January 12th the community of Chinampas celebrated the inauguration of a bridge that was three years in the making, according to Bonifacio Diaz, who lives in Chinampas and serves as syndic for the District of Samara.Read full article here.

TSE Pays Thousands of Dollars in Rent While Still Owing Rent to Municipality

Photo by Oliver Perez
The new office for the Supreme Election Court in Nicoya

Starting this year, the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE- Electoral Supreme Court) will pay 1,332,000 colones ($2,664) per month in rent for the offices of the regional branch in Nicoya. Read full article here.

Law Proposal to Restructure National Parks and Wildlife Refuges

Photo by Giordano Ciampini
The Riddle turtle lay her eggs in Ostional beach during the first "arribada" in August 2012.

The Ministry of Environment and Energy (Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, SITRAMINAE) Workers Union and former Environment deputy minister, Mario Boza, announced that a new law aimed to restructure the management of national parks and wildlife refuges is being drafted. Read full article here.

Luggage Thefts on the Bus Between Samara and San Jose

Photo by Arianna McKinney

The Samara Chamber of Tourism recently issued an advisory cautioning people to keep their valuables with them in the bus at all times and not to use the overhead bins because of recent thefts. Read full article here.

Photo Gallery: Nosara Fair 2013

Pinar Istek /The Voice of Nosara
Kathy Muonio poses for a portrait in her character, Golden Wing Fairy For The Children, on the first day of Nosara Fair Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 22, 2013 at the Nosara fairground. Originally from Lake Taho, Ca. Muonio teaches at Escuelita Summer School.

January 22 through 28, Nosara celebrated its traditional town fair with parades, bull riding, concerts, and motocross. See the gallery for masquerade and classical music here.

See the gallery for bull riding here.

See the gallery for tope here.

Repair Work Advances at Nicoya Hospital After Earthquake

Photo by Giordano Ciampini

The repair of damaged infrastructure in La Anexion Hospital in Nicoya, after the earthquake of September 5, 2012, has progressed 40% and it is estimated that it could be ready in May.Read full article here.

More Regional News “The Minister of Agriculture Doesn’t Know Anything about Transgenics,” Legislator Claudio Monge Pereira Indignant and upset, Claudio Monge Pereira, legislator of the Citizen Action Party, declared that Gloria Abraham, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, doesn’t know about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). President of CR’s Commission on Human Rights proposes doctor visits to “cure gays” The president of Costa Rica’s Commission on Human Rights, Justo Orozco, wants the Spanish doctor Jokin de Irala to present his “homosexuality as a disorder” ideas with Congress. New Director Found Nicoya’s Hospital Functioning at 60% The new director of the La Anexion Hospital of Nicoya, Dr. Jorge Fonseca Renault, conversed in depth with VON a month after taking the reins of the main medical campus of the peninsula, after the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) intervened in December due to serious management deficiencies. New Foundation Looks to Install Security Cameras in Nicoya, Samara and Nosara The new nonprofit Fundacion Para la Seguridad Integral de Nicoya (Foundation for the Integral Security of Nicoya), which was registered in December 2012, has the goal of raising funds to install security cameras strategically placed around Nicoya canton.  Earthquake Damages Won’t Stop Students From Going Back to School Due to the serious damages to educational centers caused by the earthquake on September 5th, many students ended 2012 with classes being held in alternate sites and the new semester, which starts on February 6, will begin and end the same way for at least 19 school grounds in the region of Nicoya, where students will receive classes in shared classrooms, halls, churches and rented buildings. The Earthquake Continues for Affected Families “It was the only house I’ve had,” lamented Maritza Villareal, resident of Nosara. “I just hope to rebuild it in a better place because we don’t want to live in this little shack with four people. I want to give my kids a better life.  We need help and all that we hear from the government is no, no, no,” she explained.