1999 – Page 5

The president of the Association of North Coast Tourism Operations (Opetur), Pedro Tomasio recommended that the government privatize the Puerto Plata sky lift. Pedro Tomasio told El Siglo that it should be privatized so it can finally get into working condition. President Leonel Fernández himself attended the inaugural of the sky lift on 4 November. …

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78 year old writer and poet, Manuel Rueda passed away yesterday. He had been suffering from cancer. The winner of the 1994 National Literature Prize was also an accomplished musician and playwright. He had been director of the National Music Conservatory and the Institute of Folklore Research of the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña. His …

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"Navidad 99" is the celebration of Christmas organized by the Ayuntamiento de Santo Domingo (city municipality), Secretaría de Turismo (ministry of tourism), Comisión de Monumentos (historic monuments commission), Oficina de Patrimonio Cultural (office of cultural heritage), and the Patronato de la Ciudad Colonial (board of the colonial city). Activities start today, Wednesday, 1 December and …

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Informatics expert Genove Gneco says that the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, the Presidency of the Republic, the Ministry and Public Works and the Metropolitan Transport Authority could confront Y2K problems with 80% of their computers if measures are not taken in time. New HP computer systems were installed last year, but unfortunately they were …

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A recent Sigma Dos/Listin Diario survey showed that Dominicans are more concerned about the environment than the Y2K phenomenon. 75% of the Dominican population says it is not satisfied with the state of the environment in the country. Most Dominicans are aware of the forestry programs that have managed to revert deforestation in the DR, …

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Architect Eduardo Selman, who directs the Corporación Dominicana de Empresas Estatales, the state consortium of companies that are now being privatized, told El Siglo newspaper that 14 companies are interested in investing in Dominicana Airlines, the state airline. El Siglo newspaper reports that an audit by KPMG shows that the grounded airline has assets of …

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Minister of Public Health Juan Octavio Ceballos reported that 25 portions of diphtheria anti-toxin to combat an outbreak of diphtheria primarily in slum areas in Santiago province had arrived. The incidence of diphtheria in the DR is so low that the medicine is not imported by pharmaceutical companies. Minister of Public Health Ceballos said, "There …

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A pregnant woman left for the hospital just in time to avoid serious burns last week. Shortly after, a clandestine fireworks factory located beside her home exploded. The fire outbreak occurred in the Puerto Rico area of Los Minas on the eastern side of Santo Domingo. 42 year old Rafael Antonio Mendez reportedly arrived drunk …

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The National Police stats released by Hoy newspaper show that 440 persons died in Santo Domingo (population about 3 million) in the first 11 months of the year. Most of the reported murders in shootouts or by knife wounds occurred in areas described by the police as centers of violence and delinquency. These are Gualey, …

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President Leonel Fernández attended the inaugural of the Antena Latina (Channel 7) offices at Gustavo Mejia Ricart Street in Naco. This is an investment of the new generation of the Bonetti family. Jose Miguel Bonetti Dubreil, president of Antena Latina, spoke at the event announcing the new programming and the alliances made with CNN, the …

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