2003 – Page 81

The use of credit cards has risen to new heights in the Dominican Republic, in spite of the fact that some companies charge as much as 9% per month on unpaid balances. According to Candida Acosta, an economic reporter for the Listin Diario, as of 31 July, 2002, the average interest rate charged by the …

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Over the weekend, 12 houses in Puerto Plata crumbled to the ground and others were more noticeably damaged as aftershocks shook the region. The erosion of Isabel de Torres Mountain has increased, according to eye witness reports. The EGE-Haina generating facility in Puerto Plata will be out of service for at least one month, with …

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Dominican geologist Eduardo Verdeja questions the report that quantified the depth of the epicenter of last week’s earthquake at 10 km. Verdeja studied earthquakes in Japan, where he lived for many years and bore witness in 1995 to the 7.2 quake that shook Kobe. He says the fact that the earthquake was felt in so …

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El Caribe reports that 3,000 Dominican children were treated at the Robert Reid Cabral public children’s hospitals for burns last year. Most of these injuries were caused in the kitchen and were due to parent’s negligence.

Senator Celeste Gomez (Santiago Rodriguez-PRD) says that Friday’s murder of 61-year-old Carlos Enrique Everstz Fournier clearly indicates there were sinister forces at play in the death of her brother, the late senator Dario Gomez. “The death of Carlos Everstz is evidence that behind the killing of Dario there are intellectual authors and the information he …

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The Cibao Baseball Stadium was the scene of the investiture ceremony of Santiago’s fourth bishop and second archbishop, Ramon Benito de la Rosa y Carpio. Bishop Timothy Broglio, the Papal Nuncio, and Nicolas de Jesus Cardinal Lopez Rodriguez led the ceremonies, which were attended by all Catholic bishops of the Dominican Republic, as well as …

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On Friday, 27 September, Sammy Sosa made baseball history by becoming the first National League baseball player and the third in the Major Leagues to go six consecutive years batting 40 home runs per year. Only Babe Ruth and Alex Rodriguez, who played for the American League, have also accomplished this feat. Sosa scored his …

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The year 2003 was a great year for Dominican ball players in general. El Caribe reports that 24 Dominicans have made it into the playoffs, including Alex Rodriguez (American League leader in home runs – 47), Pedro Martinez (American League leading pitcher 2.22 average), Alberto Pujols (National League leader in runs batted in – .359 …

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A national survey conducted by the US polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research showed that 18% of potential voters favor the re-election of President Mejia, with a margin of error of +/- 3%. 79% of the likely voters polled were against his re-election. The survey was commissioned by the seven PRD pre-candidates who oppose Mejia?s …

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The Chamber of Deputies approved the Executive Branch’s request for congressional authorization of a RD$1.79-billion transfer of National Budget funds. The bill had already been approved by the PRD-majority Senate and mandates the allocations shuffle that will see RD$950 million redirected to the President’s Office. The bill received the favorable vote of 79 deputies of …

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