2008 – Page 190

The musical based on the life of a Dominican family in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood, “In the Heights” has just won the top prize at the annual Tony Awards, the Tony for Best Musical. The Tony Awards honor the best of the 2007-08 Broadway season. The musical led the nominations with 13, and …

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President Leonel Fernandez has announced a series of meetings with the economic and energy government department leaders, with a view to devising a strategic plan aimed at tackling rising food and fuel prices. On his return from a 10-day trip to Europe, Fernandez met with his economic and energy sector teams yesterday. Today he is …

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The Office of Metropolitan Bus Services (OMSA) needs to urgently purchase between 300 and 500 new buses. As reported, buses are just taken off their routes because the replacement parts are too expensive. OMSA directors say they need to add 200 new buses every year to maintain adequate levels of transport service and the required …

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This time the public hospital doctors’ strike in Santiago didn’t have the effect the Dominican Medical Association (CMD) was hoping for. Hoy reports that at the Jose Maria Cabral y Baez hospital as well as at public hospitals in La Vega and Moca, patients went to the hospital as usual, and were treated by strikebreaking …

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Domestic airlines have joined the major international airlines serving the DR in asking the government to eliminate taxes to help reduce their costs. The airlines say that demand is down due to the high cost of flights, making matters worse at a time when they have to endure spiraling fuel costs and crippling airport tariffs. …

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The Ministry of Tourism reports that tourism was up by 7.17% during the first five months of the year, as reported in the Listin Diario. The DR received 1,677,391 tourists between January and May. This represents an increase of 112,235 more tourists compared to the first five months of 2007. Tourist arrivals grew by 9.78% …

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Though you might think your metal waste will end up at a junkyard around the corner, what actually happens is that metal waste ends up in large containers that are shipped out to China. According to Diario Libre, China received 91.3 million kilograms of scrap waste in 2007, 152,460 kilograms of which came from the …

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Commercial banks and savings and loan associations have upped their interest rates by 2% and 3% for personal loans, vehicular loans and for home financing. Bank officials have been calling clients to notify them of the changes, and that adjustments could now be made on a quarterly base. The average annual mortgage rate is now …

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A report released by the Citizen Watchdog, a division of the Santo Domingo Municipality (AND), reveals that 40 out of every 1,000 children born in the National District (Santo Domingo) die at birth. This is higher than the percentage for Santo Domingo province (39/1,000) and the national average (32/1,000). The report also indicates that 10.8% …

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Priest Regino Martinez of Solidaridad Fronteriza says that the Haitian children who are regularly posted to beg from passing cars at key intersections in Santiago and Santo Domingo are part of an aggressive people-smuggling ring across the border with Haiti. The Jesuit priest says that the ring is very well organized and operates in several …

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