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Daily News - 8 May 2000
RD$30 million in sales at book fair
Next year's book fair will be dedicated to Chile, announced the president of the Permanent Commission of the Book Fair, Jose Rafael Lantigua during the closing ceremony. During the closing event, President Leonel Fernández formally invited Chile to be the main guest country of next year's fair. He personally handed an invitation to Chilean Ambassador Antonio Ortega. Fair organizer Lantigua said that this year's book fair sales had reached a record RD$30 million. He estimated the fair was visited by more than one million persons. The fair has worked itself up to a reputation as the leading cultural activity held annually in the DR since its renewal by the Fernández government in 1997.
Oracle programs in the DR
Oracle Corporation will support the Dominican government's modernization plans and superior education programs. The US high tech corporation signed an agreement for Internet technology. Technical Minister of the Presidency, Temístocles Montás signed the contract on behalf of the Dominican government; Gerardo Martinez signed for Oracle Corporation.
New emergency operations center to be built
A National Emergency Operations Center will go up at the Center of Operations of the Health Plaza (Plaza de la Salud) in Santo Domingo. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has consulted with the Dominican Civil Defense department and helped develop the design for the new center. The construction will be funded by the Interamerican Development Bank as part of the Reconstruction Program made available to help the country recover from Hurricane Georges that hit in September 1998. The project was presented to the press by General Jose Antonio de los Santos, director of the Civil Defense department and by the coordinator of FEMA assistance programs in the DR, Joshua Batkin, who is special assistant to the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
New Spanish ambassador appointed
The government of Spain appointed Fermin Prieto-Castro Roumier new ambassador to the Dominican Republic. He will replace Jose Manuel López Barrón, present ambassador. The appointment still has to go through diplomatic channels and formalities.
Spanish poll shows Danilo leads Balaguer
The Listin Diario newspaper-Sigma Dos poll shows voter preferences at 42.6% Hipólito Mejía-PRD; 29% Danilo Medina-PLD; and 20% Joaquín Balaguer-PRSC. The survey was carried out 3-4 May and 1,200 persons were interviewed nationwide. It also showed that 4.3% of voters are still undecided.
Hipólito meets again with Balaguer
Former President Joaquín Balaguer, who is running for president on the PRSC ticket, and PRD presidential candidate Hipólito Mejía met for 10-12 minutes on Friday according to daily newspaper reports. The two met around noontime at the home of the 94-year old former statesman. Mejía met alone with Balaguer, as reported. He arrived at the Máximo Gómez residence accompanied only by his chauffeur and a bodyguard. Hoy reported that as soon as he arrived, Balaguer received him.
The newspaper says that his visit comes as a response to the visit made by President Leonel Fernández and PLD strategists Temístocles Montás and Miguel Cocco.
JCE to control TV and radio news from 15-17 May
The Junta Central Electoral, the body that is organizing the presidential election in the DR, said that it will control the TV and radio coverage on the 16 May presidential election from 15 to 17 May. The JCE transmission will continue until the the winner of the first electoral round is announced by that organization. During the 1998 congressional and municipal election, the JCE left up to each media the decision of joining the JCE newscast chain.
Furthermore, Dr. Manuel Ramón Morel Cerda, president of the electoral board, said that all is ready for the holding of the presidential election. He said that the necessary material has already been distributed to most of the municipal boards nationwide, and that the necessary personnel have been appointed. For more information, see the JCE web site at http://www.jce.do
Small plane crashes, two dead
A single engine Cesna 152 crashed on Sunday in Santiago, killing its two occupants. The pilot, 31-year-old Richard Ruben Alba López and his brother-in-law 22-year old Juan Vargas died shortly after the crash. The airplane was totaled after crashing into an apartment building in the Villa Olímpica area of Santiago, the second largest city in the DR. The two had been contracted to distribute PRD promotional campaign flyers during the PRD closing congregation in that city. The apartment building suffered structural damages, but no one else was injured. The airplane was the property of the Aeroclub Quisqueya of the Aeropuerto Internacional Cibao.
Freddy Beras Goico shows to air on Telecable
Supercanal reached an agreement with Telecable Nacional last week. The agreement was signed on Saturday, 6 May at the Telecable Nacional offices.
The new UHF channel will now be able to be viewed by subscribers to the largest cable TV network of Santo Domingo. The agreement establishes that Supercanal will be seen on Telecable Nacional's Channel 36 up until 22 May, and as of that day it will be assigned Channel 33.
Supercanal transmits on UHF as Channel 33, and wanted that channel on Telecable. Telecable had offered it Channel 54, giving way to an impasse.
Supercanal's most popular program is Sunday variety show, El Gordo de la Semana, a Freddy Beras Goico production.
To reach the agreement, Beras Goico and Supercanal president Frank Jorge Elías negotiated with José Florentino, president of Telecable and Miguel Calzada of Caribbean Traveling Network, a travel video channel that transmitted on the desired Channel 33. CTN will pass on to Channel 30 as of May 22.
Los Toros Band at the National Theater
"El Merengue se Viste de Gala" is the name of the show Hector Acosta and his Los Toros Band will be presented at the National Theater of Santo Domingo. The Santo Domingo Philharmonic Orchestra in the 12-13 May presentations will accompany him. Joseito Mateo, Jose el Calvo, el Cieguito de Nagua and Miriam Cruz will be guest performers in the show. Amaury Sanchez is the director of the presentation. Los Toros Band leader, Hector Acosta said that this presentation is one of the biggest challenges his group has ever faced.
Santo Domingo wins National Games
The National District (Santo Domingo) won the 12th National Sports Games that ended on Saturday in La Romana. The National District athletes passed the North Region on the last day, capitalizing on the superiority of their swimmers and gymnasts. The La Romana games were described as one of the most successful ever. Large local crowds turned out to watch the sport events. At the event, the government announced the 2002 games would be held in Monte Plata and the 2004 games in Salcedo. In both of these cities, all sports installations have to be built. The National Sports Games have been criticized because millions have been spent to build installations that are later abandoned.

 REGION  GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL
National District 107 97 91 295
 North 98 91 92 281
 South 57 73 76 206
 East 55 46 55 256
 La Romana 29 29 77 135
NY-Puerto Rico 12 7 14 33
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