Volunteers from Nosara’s Red Cross and Nosara Firefighting Association were certified in vertical rescue during a training course that started this past Saturday may 12. Three firefighters and ten Red Cross volunteers took part in the weekend long certification course, which included a theory exam on paper and two days of practice, concluding on May 13.

Stating next year, the Correos de Costa Rica (post office) will be processing passports for the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (immigration service). The change was announced on Monday by the ministro de Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública, Mario Zamora and the director of Migración y Extranjería, Kattia Rodríguez.

Sunday May 14, over 50 Nosareños witnessed the town’s first ever mini-golf tournament, thanks to the effort of one very talented ten-year old. And like many ten-year olds, he doesn’t mince words.

The continuing conflict between Costa Rica's transporters of fuel and the Ministerio del Ambiente, Energía y Telecomunicaciones (MINAET) could result in parked trucks and causing a fuel shortage starting Tuesday May 15.

On Monday, May 7th, the director of Samara’s rural high school in El Torito received a letter from the mayor of the Municipality of Nicoya giving permission to continue with the construction of new classrooms. The director, Maria Benita Gomez Moreno, said she was very content that the project is again underway after it had been shut down by the municipality on April 30th. 

"When you laugh, you change, when you change, the world changes," says Madan Kataria, credited as founder of the Laughter Yoga movement.

A group of architecture students from New York are planning to come to Nosara in July to help build the much needed recycling center for the community. They are currently raising funds on Kickstarter, an online funding platform for creative projects, to help them with their expenses while volunteering in Nosara, as well as to help fund a professional documentary film about the project in order to share this important initiative with a larger audience.

Starting Monday, May 7, many consumers will get a whopping surprise at the supermarket checkout when some 90 products will begin to be taxed. Sausages, bread, meat, fruit and milk are some of the foods that consumers come Monday will have to the 13% sales tax on.

With raffles, chicharron and music, about 55 people celebrated the inauguration of a new water pump for the Cangrejal area in Samara on Sunday, April 29th. Miguel Gomez, president of the ASADA, explained that the former well (1991) that provided water to Cangrejal had been made very quickly and the gravel was not done well, so sediments appeared in the water. Although he assured that the water always tested clean for drinking, the sediment affected the aesthetic aspect of the water. 

Shrimping in the Rio Nosara is a fairly lucrative business, and for many it's part of a way of life. However, there is a dark underbelly.

In order to meet demand and keep prices low, there needs to be a large supply of shrimp, and the bigger the better.

It's almost eleven o'clock and those seeking a break from the high midday temperatures take a seat on one of the benches under the shade of the trees in Nicoya's Central Park. Suddenly the air is filled with the rhythm of marimba and sabanero shouts—all sounds of Guanacaste. Are there fiestas in Nicoya? No. Is there some sort of special celebration going on? Not quite.

The General Law of Tobacco Control was passed in March, and although it is in effect, it still hasn't been implemented because the Ministry of Health still has not published the regulations of this law and it is still not clear who will ensure compliance with the regulations.

If you like to run and want to help the community of Nosara, on May 19th you can achieve both at the same time. Sustainable Nosara is organizing Aventura Nosara, a race whose profits will go to the Nosara firefighters, the Security Association and the Recycling and Waste Association.

On Wednesday, April 18th, representatives of 16 companies inspected sites along the Nosara River deemed most critical in their preparation of bids for flood prevention work proposed for these areas. The inspections raised hopes that this time some work might actually get done to lessen the problems caused by the river with the annual rains.

Several hundred fish turned up dead at the Boca of Nosara on April 8th, and the suspected culprit is red tide. While that may provoke fear that the phenomenon is here in full force, the Instituto Costarricense de Pesca y Acuicultura (INCOPESCA- Costa Rican Institute of Fishing and Agriculture) red tide commission indicates that the danger for humans is minimal.

CREAR has created a new program to draw more people to Samara's public library: Reading Time. Reading Time for children ages 2 to 8 is being offered Monday through Thursday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. It is free and encourages young ones to develop a love for literature as volunteers from CREAR and Intercultura read stories, play games and sing songs with the children.