JULY 2009

The Presidency helps families of the Cibao

Victims of the rains

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO.- The Social Plan of the Presidency carried out simultaneous operations of food and electric household appliances delivery in the affected areas by the torrential downpours fallen these last days in this sector, which caused considerable damage to many families having small economic incomes.

In these operations, which include 540 quintals of raw food, the Government invested two million 709 thousand 548 pesos distributed between 4 thousand 500 families.

Equipment for the house was delivered to 200 families at the time of a ceremony which took place in the Club de Alistados de la Fortaleza General Fernando Valerio.

The activities started in the sector Hoya del Caimito, directed by the managing director of the Social plan, Emigdio Sosa, who was accompanied by the provincial governor Jose Augusto Izquierdo, by Bélgica Espaillat, and Josefina de Báez, responsible for this institution in this city, among other personalities.

The civil servant explained that these operations are added to the ordinary work carried out every fifteen days by the Presidency of the Republic, through the governors named in all the country.

He said that the Social Plan set up a program of contingency, to apply in critical points in the event of catastrophes caused by natural phenomena.

The sectors which benefit from the official donations are Hoyo de Julia, Hoyo de Bartola, Hoya del Caimito, Hoyo de Puchula, Las Javillas, Los Guandules, Playita of Ciénaga, Villa González, Río de Arrenquillo and Jaragua.

On his side, the governor of the province, Jose Izquierdo, said that the downpours fallen during the last weeks on the zone caused considerable damage in nine points considered as criticisms. He expressed that because of the situation caused by this bad weather, President Leonel Fernández offered an immediate assistance to these Communities through the meals of the Social Plan of the Presidency and the Economic Restaurants.

Santiago Live, 03.07.09

A convention is signed to create the Linear Park in Santiago

To improve the treatment of the hydrological network

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO. - Several institutions signed an agreement for the design and the execution of the Linear Project of the Park of the North Yaque River.

The purpose of the project is to improve the treatment of the hydrological network composed by the North Yaque River in its passage by Santiago and the gutters and the streams which cross the city, which are tributaries of the river.

The plan, in agreement with the engineers, will be carried out in several phases, while starting with two projects: the first, the Ecological and Sporting Park of Bella Vista, this last being located on the banks of the North Yaque River between this sector and the Miramar Yaque Avenue and the second will be the Aquatic Park Las Charcas.

The Linear Park of the North Yaque River is a long-term plan, according to the representatives.

The institutions who are signatories are the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources, the Town hall of Santiago, the Corporation of the Aqueducts and Sewers of Santiago, the Manufacturer Andrade Gutiérrez and the Association for the Development, Inc.

Santiago Live, 08.07.09

Thousands see sun’s halo in the Cibao

The rare occurrence caught the attention of Santiagueros of all kinds

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO.- Thousands of persons in the Cibao Valley watched the unusual occurrence of a solar halo, that is, a ring or rainbow-like colors around the bright sun.

The phenomena generated a lot of comments among the people of Santiago.

The solar halo was easily seen from the area around the Monument, although some amateur observers went to the Santiago Astronomy Observatory in the Cerros de Gurabo section, located on K Street, where they could appreciate the strange sight among fellow astronomers.

Hundreds of persons went outside for a few minutes, leaving their jobs or homes, to observe the solar halo that began about 12:20 p.m. and lasted until about 3:35 p.m. Many people called radio and television stations in search of explanations.

Ramon Caceres, a member of the Observatory explained that the event is the result of sunlight as it filter through ice particles or water vapor that is very high in the atmosphere.
The solar halos usually have a radius of 22 degrees.

Diario Libre, 14.07.09

Water scarcity worsens in Santiago

Low levels of the reservoirs

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO.- The supply of drinking water continues to diminish in the barrios and residential areas of this province, due to the low levels of the reservoirs behind the Tavera and Bao dams and the Lopez Angostura counter-dam.

The water scarcity has increased the protests and complaints, while the Santiago Corporation for the Aqueduct and Sewers (CORAASAN) continues it program of rationing. The deficit of 12,000.000 gallons of water a day forced Coraasan to begin an educational campaign to have persons use less water.

According to the statistical data, each person in Santiago that has access to water uses 600 liters per day, an amount that is much too high.

Diario Libre, 21.07.09

The Yaque river’s environmental nightmare

Along Santiago’s neighborhoods

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO.- Santiago province is under pollution’s constant onslaught, as scattered trash dumps, waste from factories dumped on the streams Guazumal, Tamboril and Rafey and the unplanned extraction of construction aggregates and lack of awareness has ravaged surrounding ecosystems.

Seven streams in a hydrographic basin of 396 square kilometers dump thousands of liters of polluted waters per second on the North Yaque River as it meanders along Santiago’s neighborhoods.

The streams Arroyo Hondo, Salado, Pastor, Guazumal-Pontezuela-Nibaje, Hoya del Caimito, Arrenquillo and Las Lavas, as well as the Jacagua and Quinigua rivers, are deteriorating the Yaque’s ecosystem from the south Santiago towns La Noriega and Las Charcas, to Villa González, as well as fish farms, its potable water and swimming holes on that span.

Thousands of square meters of the Yaque’s riverbank are also being carved up for the construction of multi-buildings and businesses, despite that those spaces aren’t capable of withstanding any type of structure.

Adding to the woes is the construction debris dumped on the unprotected areas of the Septentrional mountain range, cause shifting mud which plugs the natural water flow, damaging drainage systems in urban areas and villages during heavy rains.

Urban planning, countryside migration

Environmentalists say the North Yaque river’s recovery should begin with the reforestation of its sub-basins around in Santiago, and where the many garbage dumps in nearby municipalities require an integral the solid waste management.

One of the groups, the Cibao ecologists grouped in SOECI, for years has demanded that the authorities implement urban planning and environmental cleanup of the basins.

Another factor adding to the crisis is the migration by farmers to Santiago, where the North Yaque’s frequent swells continue causing loss of life and property.

Dominican Today, 23.07.09

The communities of the municipality of Puñal will be asphalted

Investment of 60 million pesos

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO.- The Sub-secretary of Public Works asked for the equipment necessary to begin the asphalting work of more than ten streets and local roads of the community of Monte Adentro of the municipality of Puñal, following many protests.

With an investment which exceeds 60 million pesos, the authorities of Public Works and the Provincial government began asphalting work of the streets of the community of Monte Adentro and of the close zones.

The representative of the executive power of Santiago, Jose Izquierdo, guaranteed that all the streets will be repaired while he asked the other sectors to not desperate because he affirmed that he will accept the requests of asphalting.

The provincial governor said that they were going to asphalt more than 85 percent of streets, roads and local roads of the districts of Santiago, but he specified that he would not accept any more pressures of any sector.

Santiago Live, 28.07.09

Customs to cut ribbon for modern offices

In Cibao region

BREAKING NEWS: The Customs Agency (DGA) will inaugurate modern operations offices in the Cibao region Thursday in the city Santiago, which will decentralize the entire North Region’s customs activities and expedite merchandise retrieval.

Hacienda minister Vicente Bengoa and Customs director Rafael Camilo will head the ribbon cutting ceremony slated for 5 p.m., to which North Region officials, import and export sector personalities and business leaders have been invited.

The new Customs 6-story office building is located in downtown Santiago, in the intersection of the El Sol and Juan Pablo Duarte streets.

Dominican Today, 30.07.09