| With busy developers
anticipating multitudinous lot-buyers on hillsides all around the
lake, the ecological association Fuentes Verdes reiterated its purposes
at the June 10 meeting. President Ed Yurica spelled them out: "1)
to help set the agenda for environmental action; 2) to ask the right
questions, keeping our concerns in the limelight with state and local
institutions; and 3) to be vigilant, meaning that if any of us sees
violations of environmental laws we report it to the authorities."
Sandy Shaw reported that the
Guanacaste Province Animal Welfare Foundation has raised an additional
$3500 with a special event orchestrated by Judy Reisman in Maryland.
In addition, the foundation is contemplating selling Purina pet
food products at a discount to pet owners around the lake, all profits
to go to neutering street animals. Rigo Murillo has volunteered
his new restaurant, AromaTico, at the entrance to Tilarán
as a venue for storage and sales at no cost to the foundation, but
volunteers are needed to be there at least one day a week to handle
sales. Christina Glass, Irene Lovitz and Sandy have volunteered,
but they could use more. Anyone who would be available to volunteer,
say, four hours a month, please get in touch with Sandy at sshrae@racsa.co.cr.
The women's monthly lunch group
has a fundraiser planned for Sunday, July 23, up on hilltop in La
Tejona. According to President Roberta Ward Smiley, it will be at
the party house on the Alberto Herrera finca across from the windmills
from 3 to 9 pm. Bob
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Benjamin will play
from 5 to 8 and the group plans a raffle, horseshoes, dancing and
other activities. They're raising money for recycling programs in
San Luis and Tronadora as well as other causes. Roberta now has a
new number at which to contact her for trees, guided forest tours,
and lunch group information. It's 377-1508.
Speaking of the hilltops, Peace
Corps Volunteer Mara Mordini has been assessing the water problems
in Parcelas, where she is living with a host family. Part of the
village runs out of water in the afternoons, and there's a conflict
over repair of a pipe bringing water from Tenorio. Elsewhere high
on the hillsides some residents are trucking water to home cisterns.
As the rainy season continues, such trucking should become unnecessary.
The supply of water and what
happens to it are increasingly important issues at the lake with
hundreds of lots for sale. Besides the issue of supply, there's
the problem of maintaining water quality in the lake. Are the septic
systems currently being installed adequate to prevent pollution
from entering the lake or affecting water sources? People buying
small lots on more-or-less steep hillsides may have to get creative
in septic system design since the customary design requires perfectly
level drainfields. More sophisticated systems can be very expensive.
Fortunately for those cutting corners, building inspection is generally
cursory. However, those not prepared to spend what's necessary to
prevent pollution should probably not buy lots.
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