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Daily News - 12 January 2001
Whale-watching season starts Monday
The Ministry of Environment announces the start of the North Coast whale-watching season for Monday, 15 January. Already some early arrivals have been spotted. Samana, on the North East of the Dominican Republic is the center of whale-watching operations. The season officially starts 15 January, and continues through the first week of March. After that date, very few whales linger on the area. The whales come to the warm Caribbean waters to mate.
New bridge over Ozama announced for May
Minister of Public Works Miguel Vargas said during the government council held yesterday that the new bridge over the Ozama River, parallel to Duarte Bridge, will be ready by May. It is going up at a cost of RD$540 million. He said that the repairs of the old Duarte Bridge will take longer as the bridge is in use. The repair of the bridge had originally been assigned to Conde-Mouchel consortium. Mouchel in August 1998 was given the quality assurance role on the strengthening of the Duarte Bride. Subsequently, though the government decided to continue alone with the project, which has caused significant delays in its completion. Now Vargas says the bridge will be repaired by September. The repair of the old bridge is costing about as much as the construction of the new one.
Minister Vargas also promised the Las Americas Expressway works would be completed by March of this year.
Ministry of Culture and pro-culture group make up
The Ministry of Culture and the Voluntariado del Museo de las Casas Reales agreed to put behind their differences and work together for the promotion of culture. The director of the Office of Cultural Heritage, Architect Ivan Cesar Feris read an agreement that states that both Rosa Maria Vicioso, president of the Voluntariado del Museo de las Casas Reales and Minister of Culture Tony Raful express there is good will and interest to work for the promotion of culture and in defense of the cultural heritage of the country. Doors are left open for joint actions in the immediate future. Before the press and TV cameras, both kissed and made up.
The clash had occurred when a presidential decree eliminated the incorporation of the Voluntariado that was also asked to abandon the offices it had occupied for almost 25 years at the Casa de Bastidas, in the Colonial City. Minister of Culture Tony Raful said that everything had been due to a misunderstanding.
Tax extortion hotline
The Department of Taxes (DGII) published today two hotline numbers for denouncing any kind of extortion on behalf of DGII inspectors. The hotline numbers for Santo Domingo is 689-0131 and for the interior, toll free 1-200-0131. The DGII says that information provided will be treated with discretion.
US donates food for education
The US government will donate approximately 75,000 metric tons of US commodities valued at RD$264 to the Dominican government. Funds generated from the goods will be used to improve the health and nutrition of Dominican children. Ambassador Charles Manatt of the US made the announcement at a ceremony symbolically held at the Liceo Estados Unidos. Present were Vice President, Minister of Education Milagros Ortiz Bosch and Technical Secretary Rafael Calderon. The donation is part of President Clinton's Global Food for Education Initiative that is being implemented in 38 countries, with US$300 million in grants to promote better nutrition and school enrollment for needy children in developing countries. The money will be used to increase number of beneficiaries of breakfast programs at public schools. "It's quite simple: children cannot learn on empty stomachs," declared Ambassador Manatt.
The Dominican Technical Secretariat will oversee the sale of most of the commodities. The Program Executive Council (CEP), the governing body of this program consisting of the U.S. government as represented by the Foreign Agricultural Service and the USAID, the Technical Secretariat of the Presidency and the Ministry of Education, will review and award grants from the proceeds of the sale to community-based groups, NGOS and government institutions with strong, effective proposals for school food distribution activities in their communities.
North Coast Gastronomic Contest
Get ready for a feast! The Hotel Casa Marina Reef of Sosua, Puerto Plata will again host the celebration of the North Coast gastronomic festival. The Association of Hotels & Restaurants of Sosua and Cabarete annually organize the event. It is scheduled for Friday, 26 January.
Pretzels bakery opens in Santo Domingo
The US food franchise, Wetzel's Pretzels brings the traditional pretzels to Santo Domingo. The first Wetzel's Pretzels has just opened in Santo Domingo. It is located at the food court of the Plaza Central shopping mall. For more on these pretzels, see http://www.wetzelspretzels.com/
Cruise of the Millennium
Millennium, the newest ship of Celebrity Cruise Line began making stops at the Isla Catalina off La Romana as of 27 December. Visitors will be visiting the island of Catalina from 11 am to 6 pm every 15 days through 28 April. The stop includes lunch on the lovely beach.
The Millennium began sailing on 14 June 2000. It has capacity for 2,300 passengers and 900 crew members.
On the same trip tourists visit Catalina, they will also sail to San Juan, Puerto Rico, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas and Nassau. The 7-night Eastern Caribbean vacation starts and ends in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Opening a Pandora box?
After stories on the lack of fire exits in the tall towers going up all around Santo Domingo, now a new problem has come for authorities and builders to tackle. The Listin Diario yesterday carried the plight of the residents in the Residencial Yaris that is exactly behind the large high rise apartment and commercial center known as Malecón Center that is going up on the sea-fronting boulevard of Santo Domingo. Residents of the complex say that the excavations to build the tower have caused cracks and serious damage to their apartments.
Today, the Listin Diario brings the tale of another condominium whose residents feel they also were affected by another major excavation project. Residents in Condominio Paraiso Quinto in Los Robles area of the city complain that the excavations to build the large Mormon Temple caused similar problems in their six dwellings.
The Ministry of Public Works and the Dominican College of Engineers and Architects have announced committees to look into the matter. The Dominican Republic is relatively new in building high rises. The present experiences will set new precedents for builders to observe in the future.
Myth and reality about the Pan Am Games
Mexican Mario Vasquez Raña, president of the Pan American Sports Organization lashed against the Organizing Committee of the 2003 Pan American Games during a press conference held shortly after his one-hour meeting with President Hipólito Mejía. Vasquez was in Santo Domingo after accepting an invitation from President Hipólito Mejía when the two met in Mexico on occasion of the inaugural of Mexican President Vicente Fox. His visit coincided with the arrival of a high level commission from the Pan American Sports Organization that came to prepare a review on advances towards the preparation of the games.
Vasquez spoke controversially. "I am going to say something very important nobody in the world, not only in this continent, nobody wants the Games to be held in the DR. From my position I have fought by all means so that the Games be held here and I will fight so that this is so," he said.
Local press have speculated that Vasquez Raña and the local president of the Organizing Committee Jose Joaquin Puello maintain a personal feud over their ambitions in the Olympic movement. Vasquez Raña also backed the hosting of the 2003 Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Regardless, Vasquez Raña addressed the press with fury in his words when criticizing the organizing committee. "There is no definite plan, there always are changes and that it is not good to commit to something and then not come through with it," he said. News reports say when he spoke he had not read the latest update on the Games organization.
He said that 25 months after the country had obtained the site, the country is at the same point as it was when it won the seat. He said that the organizing committee has been saying many lies. "The lies have been in the form of presenting one day a plan, another day another, and another day the other and we sign agreements the sad thing is that we sign and it's another lie"
One of the differences between what has been said and the reality is the cost of the Pan Am Games.
The president of the Pan American Sports Organization, Mario Vasquez Raña told the Dominican press that the sports games will cost around US$140 million, or more than RD$2,300 million. The president of the Organizing Committee, Jose Joaquin Puello has emphasized that they will not cost a cent over RD$1,500 million. Both Vasquez and Puello's figures do not include the cost of the athletes' village, which is estimated at another RD$1,000 million.
Furthermore, Vasquez told the local press that it is not true that the games will leave a profit for the country. He said that the Winnipeg, Canada games did not leave a profit, contrary to what has been said locally.
Vasquez stressed, "The Games can bring many good and positive things, but if they are not carried out successfully, then they can be counterproductive," he said. "That is why I struggle so that they be transparent, that things go well, that the least is spent."
Jose Joaquin Puello, president of the local organizing committee said, "I do not take it personally There have been many obstacles to overcome." He said that the organizing committee has proven to the visiting PASO commission that the country is not behind in preparations as has been said.
The organization of the Games is contingent on government support. The Games were also affected by Hurricane Georges in 1998 and the presidential election of 2000.
The final decision regarding the games being held in the DR will be taken on 19 January in Panama City, when the 42 members national olympic committees member of the organization meet to deliberate on whether the DR keeps the seat or not.
President Mejía, a strong supporter of the holding of the Games in Santo Domingo, is taking things philosophically. "The assembly is sovereign and Mario (Vasquez Raña) and myself will accept the decision of the members of the assembly," said President Mejía.
Puerto Plata art exhibition
Tourists and residents in Puerto Plata are in for an artistic treat. The Casa de Cultura de Puerto Plata presents an exhibition, Xtreno that highlights works of several generations of Puerto Plata-born artists. Exhibiting are Rodolfo Pimentel, Welman Duran, Guloya Pery Jimenez, Pedro Terreiro, Cervio Certad, Danilo de los Santos and Orlando Menicucci. As part of the exhibition, a conference on the works of Puerto Plata's most famous artist, Jaime Colson, will be held.
Dominicans defeat German pro volleyball team
The Dominican national volleyball team defeated 3-1 the Berlin Cats, a team ranked second in the Professional Volleyball League of Germany. The Dominican team is in Germany training for major international competitions.
The Escogido wins again
The Escogido Lions continue to lead the Aguilas Cibaeñas for the 2000-2001 Professional Baseball Championship. For standing and schedule of the Games, see http://www.dr1.com/daily/news011201.shtml (last paragraph).
 TEAM  WON  LOST  PCT.  DIF.
 Escogido  8  1  .889  
 Aguilas  6  3  .667  2
 Azucareros  2  7  .222  6
 Estrellas  2  7  .222  6
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