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Daily News - 19 April 2000
DR1 Daily News breaks for Easter holiday
The DR1 Daily News will not be published, nor email subscriptions sent out on Thursday, 20 April and Friday, 21 April due to the Easter holidays. Since the DR1 Daily News is a Monday to Friday publication, news will not be published on Saturday or Sunday, either. News items occurring over the four-day sojourn will be compiled for the Monday, 24 April edition.
The Easter holidays are a major vacation time for Dominicans. News stories are reduced to a minimum over the Easter holidays as most activities are centered at the beach and mountain resort areas. Churches in Santo Domingo will carry out religious rites.
Two Canadians arrested for extasis contraband
The Drug Control Department arrested two Canadian citizens yesterday for possession of "extasis" pills, as reported by DNCD director, Rear Admiral Luis Alberto Humeau Hidalgo.
According to Ultima Hora afternoon paper, 19-year old Canadians Joseph Ho and Niran Ved Murray were arrested when 25,700 pills were detected on them prior to their departure by way of Las Americas International Airport.
The Canadians said they acquired the drug in Paris, France for transport to Toronto, Canada. They were frisked at the airport when drug control authorities suspected them.
The pills were contained in 49 packets, of which 20 were adhered to Ho and 29 on Ved Murray's body. They had plans to fly to Toronto on flight QN-00111 of Royal Airlines. They had been in the country staying at a hotel in the East since 14 April. They said they chose the DR as an intermediary stop because of minimal checks in Canada to travelers from the DR.
Cargo plane arrives for the Air Force
The government received one of two cargo airplanes purchased from Spain as part of a transport package totaling RD$1,800 million, negotiated with the Spanish government, as reported by El Caribe newspaper. The government has purchased 490 taxis, 65 fire engine cars and two military Caza 212-400 planes with the deal.
Industrial Property Bill, Stock Exchange and Frontier Aid bill pass
The Senate passed the Industrial Property Bill, the Stock Exchange Bill and the bill that allots 3% of the National Budget to frontier province development yesterday. The industrial property bill is in line with stipulations of the World Trade Organization. But US pharmaceutical companies had objected it. During the same session, the Senate passed a bill that increases the import tariff on beef and pork meat from 25 to 40%. Also passed was a bill that would require the government to hold tenders for public works costing over RD$3 million.
Poll shows Balaguer would be harder to defeat than Medina
The El Siglo newspaper/Penn, Schoen & Berland poll shows that Hipólito Mejía of the PRD would defeat Joaquín Balaguer (PRSC) by a narrow margin of three points if the later makes it to the second round. The survey showed the results would be 47% versus 44%. The survey showed the margin would be wider if PLD presidential candidate Danilo Medina were to be his contender. Mejía would defeat Medina 52% to 34%. The Poll was carried out 5-10 April 2000, and some 1,400 Dominicans able to vote in the presidential election were polled.
Caribbean free trade agreement on hold
The Ministry of Foreign Relations announced the suspension, without a postponement date, of the signing of the free trade agreement with the Caribbean (Caricom). Local soft drink companies opposed the agreement when Caricom negotiators requested that the soft drinks not be excluded from free trade treatment. The Ministry of Foreign Relations said the suspension was to provide additional time so that the parties could discuss the including or not of the soft drinks in the agreement. For more on this issue, see http://www.dr1.com/daily/news180400.shtml
Popular Zoo attraction passes away
Mamy, the 65-year old elephant, died on Sunday at the National Zoo of a heart attack. She came to the DR in the 50s from Asia and was one of the leading attractions of the Santo Domingo zoo. Veterinarians told the press that she had carried on normal activities on the previous day, eating normally and taking her weekly bath. In March, visiting US veterinarian Timothy French, from Toledo, Ohio had commented that Mamy was the oldest elephant he had known. Mamy achieved big notoriety when President Balaguer had to order her transfer in 1991 from her quarters in the Avenida Bolívar old zoo grounds where she was abandoned when the zoo relocated to northern Santo Domingo.
Easter holiday prevention operation
Some 7,300 volunteers, 7,500 military, 5,500 police and 1,200 firemen will be on duty during the Easter holidays accident prevention operation. Some 74 ambulances are also on standby alert at
beaches and bathing holes, along highways and mountain trails this
week, according to the Civil Defense Agency.
"Operation Holy Week 2000" has recruited personnel from such organizations as the National Police, the Armed Forces, the Red Cross, the National Meteorology Office, the Office of National Transport, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Fire Department, the Air Brigade of the Dominican Airclub, and the Medical Emergency Directorate of the Public Health Department, to observe the most frequented locales and be prepared to respond to any emergency.
The National Directorate of Assistance and Emergencies has established
a Center for Emergency Operations (COE) to dispatch help to the any of
the tens of thousands of Dominicans who will flock to the beaches, the
mountains and other vacation spots around the country. Leaving town
during Holy Week is an almost obligatory ritual for Dominicans, and
tourist accommodations are normally packed over Easter weekend.
The COE has set up 295 booths alongside highways, 142 in beach areas, 77 in prohibited beach areas.
The Red Cross will make available emergency assistance "brigades," who
were recently trained by emergency services specialists from Cuba and
Puerto Rico, at the 295 posts around the country, staffed by 3,353
volunteers. Communications crews will also be strategically situated at
highway toll booths. The COE will move its operations into high gear
today, which is when throngs of people begin to leave home for the long
weekend.
Center for Emergency Operations, contact telephone numbers are 689,5898, 689-5905, 689-5910, 689-5931, 689-5967, 689-5965, 689-5968, 689-5983, 689-5809.
Vacation spots closed for Easter week
The Civil Defense Agency has announced the closing of 71 beaches and
vacation sites nationwide for safety reasons. These vacation sites or
beaches are declared off limits because the authorities feel they
cannot handle large numbers of visitors. In alphabetic order by provinces, the off-limits spots are:

Azua: El Caney
Barahona: Los Patos
Elías Piña: El Cuero, El Llano, Hato Viejo
Espaillat: Paraiso de Jamao, Charco de Jamao
La Romana: Chavón, Tres Colitas, Boca Chavón, Río Dulce, Las Tres
Aguas, La Represa, Hoyo Chulín
Monte Plata: Comatillo
Monseñor Nouel: Poza del Angel, Río Colorado, Palo de Garza, Presa de
Rincón, Playa del Sol,
Nigua: Los Cañones, Puente de Nigua
Puerto Plata: Poza del Castilla, El Canal, La Hilera, Acapulco, Sand
Castle, Encuentro.
Sabana Grande de Boyá: El Guardián, Mercedes Reyes, Pocita Puente,
Charco Mango, El Charco 12, Boya de Cruz, Loza Yaque, El Yaque, Río
Mijo
San Cristóbal: Los Cuadritos, Boca de Nigua
San Juan: Las Tres Pailas, Palero
San Pedro: Del Muerto, Hawaii, Morota, Villa del Mar, El Puente, El
Manguito, Rio Soco, Baño Guardias, La Manguita, El Muelle, El Puente
Sanchez Ramírez: Las Lajas, El Vivero, La Trifurcación, Las Palmas,
Los Bambúes
Santiago: La Perñita, Arroyo la Zurza, La Otra Banda, Arroyo Gurabo;
Presa de Taveras, Presa Bao, López Angostura
Santiago Rodríguez: Río Yaguasa, El Charco, Río Guayabán
Santo Domingo: Guibia, Manoguayabo, La Piedra.
Ministry of Tourism bans motorized beach sports
The Ministry of Tourism has banned the use of jet ski, wave runners and motorized boats, horses, motorcycles, motor vehicles and any equipment that could endanger the safety of visitors to the most popular Dominican beaches. Motorized sports are off limits in major beach areas from Wednesday, 19 April at 6 am to Monday, 24 April at 6 am that marks the end of the Easter holiday. The beaches specifically mentioned in the Resolution are:
Boca Chica, Playa Caribe, Guayacanes, Juan Dolio, Isla Catalina, Bayahibe, Isla Saona, Punta Cana, Bavaro, Samana, Cayo Levantado, Las Galeras, Las Terrenas, Matanzas, Matancita, Los Gringos, El Caleton, Playa Grande, Cabarete, Sosua, Playa Dorada, Long Beach, Luperon, Punta Rucia, Los Patos, Monte Rio, Palmar de Ocoa, Salinas, and Palenque.
By Resolution 1/2000, the Ministry also orders that the law that establishes that all Dominican beaches are public be respected. The law establishes that access cannot be restricted at the 60 meter fringe of the beach. Last year, two Supreme Court judges were not allowed in to the Playa Dorada hotel and beach complex because they did not prove they were guests at a hotel in the area.
Large truck traffic banned for Easter holidays
Ministry of Public Works announced a ban on the transiting of trucks on highways and roads from Thursday, 20 April through 24 April as of 6 am. The ban is issued given the peak bus and vehicle traffic that takes place over the Easter holiday, the peak domestic vacation time.
Easter activities
Expect humans to look like ants when thousands hit Boca Chica on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the Easter long weekend. The Municipality of Santo Domingo has planned 8 am to 6 pm recreational activities that include volleyball, domino, chess, ping pong, aerobics, triathlon, swimming and running races and games. The biggest event is the traditional Presidente Beer Beach Volleyball Championship to take place Thursday and Friday at Boca Chica Beach.
In Playa Grande, María Trinidad Sánchez province (in the North), 300 competitors will participate in the 20-23 April Barceló Beach Basketball Tournament.
Rancho Baiguate in the mountain town of Jarabacoa is also announcing its Easter holiday horse rally, with 300 competitors signed up.
Verdi's Requiem on Good Friday at Cathedral
Not to be missed by those staying in Santo Domingo over the Easter holidays is the performance of the Santo Domingo Cathedral Choir and Orchestra on Good Friday, 21 April. 120 voices and 55 of the nation's best musicians will perform Giuseppe Verdi's "Requiem" as of 8 pm at the Cathedral. This is a free performance, but those interested should go early as seats fill up. Carlos Piantini will be guest conductor. Performing with the choir will be Amy Cofield, from the US, and Dominican Moisés Augusto Franco who has been living in Italy for several years.
Merengue Grammy winner to perform in DR
Elvis Crespo, winner of the Grammy Award for Best Merengue Performance ("Píntame" with sales of 4 million copies), arrived yesterday to La Romana. He came by way of the La Romana Punta Aguila airport. He will perform Saturday, 22 April in La Romana's Altos de Chavón amphitheater. He arrived yesterday by way of the La Romana Punta Aguila airport.
The evening will be extra special as his co-performer is Fernando Villalona, one of the best Dominican merengue music performers of all times. Villalona will open the evening with a first part show. For more information, call 809 412-8862.
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